Healing Beyond the Shore

When Yaron Waksman describes the ocean, he not only speaks of the waves and the tide; he speaks of healing. Waksman, co-founder and CEO of HaGal Sheli, “My Wave” in Hebrew, a premier Israeli surf-therapy organization, visited The Weber School this April to share how he has transformed surfing into a tool to combat trauma.

As part of a TEDxYouth series organized by Weber School senior Graham Goodhart, Waksman spoke to an audience of students, parents, and teachers, outlining his model, which now helps roughly 5,000 participants annually and has reached more than 20,000 graduates.

At the center of his presentation, he made a simple but striking claim: “trauma does not discriminate, but neither does healing.”

Waksman opened with a story of a 12-year-old boy whose family was the victim of a terrorist attack just north of the Gaza border. While beginning his recovery journey with HaGal Sheli, the inexperienced boy, doubting himself, crashed the surfboard on his first attempt. On his second effort, he fell again. Upset and wanting to quit, Waksman guided him back into the water.

“The fastest way back is catching a wave,” Waksman said, recalling what he told the boy. “You can do it. Just close your eyes for a moment, take a deep breath, and visualize yourself standing.” On the next attempt, the boy stood up, smiled, and rode the wave back to shore.

For Waksman, that moment captured the philosophy behind his idea of surf therapy: repeated exposure to challenge, paired with emotional support and community, can rebuild the confidence that trauma once destroyed.

Waksman spoke about the broader context of his mission in Israel. He explained that since Oct. 7, levels of trauma and anxiety have rapidly increased, in what The Times of Israel calls a “national mental health crisis.”

“Israel has become a place of trauma,” he said, emphasizing that exposure to violence, fear, and loss of control has become increasingly widespread in recent years. In light of this, HaGal Sheli has expanded its programs among different groups of people, including at-risk youth, people with disabilities, and trauma survivors.

A central question in Waksman’s talk was why surfing is so effective in trauma recovery when compared with traditional therapy alone.

“Trauma traps your mind and body in place,” he explained. “Surfing demands total presence. You have to be exactly where your body is: breathing, balancing, reacting. There’s no room to be anywhere else.”

You can do it. Just close your eyes for a moment, take a deep breath, and visualize yourself standing.

He added that the ocean provides something uniquely stabilizing, its consistency. “The sea is going nowhere,” he said. “It won’t change because of what’s happening in your life. That creates a safe space.”

According to data shared in his presentation, approximately 82 percent of program participants report a significant reduction in trauma symptoms after completing surf therapy treatment. Waksman emphasized that surf therapy is not about replacing traditional clinical treatment, but about complementing it with a shared and inclusive community.

Waksman introduced what he called the S.E.A. framework, a structure used in HaGal Sheli programs:

S – Shifting Structure: Participants are required to stay fully present, mirroring the demands that real-life resilience takes.

E – Emotional Experience: Surfing allows emotions to surface naturally in a safe and contained environment where they can be processed instead of suppressed.

A – Anchoring: Small, consistent groups are formed among individuals with shared experiences, creating a community and rebuilding trust.

Each group, separated by age, typically includes around 15 participants, supported by a professional clinical team, a team lead, and trained volunteers, many of whom are program graduates who later return as mentors.

“Every wipeout is a chance to rise again,” Waksman said. “We cannot prevent trauma, but we can control what happens next, one wave at a time.”

You have to be exactly where your body is: breathing, balancing, reacting. There’s no room to be anywhere else.

Later, Waksman addressed what happens when participants feel isolated or disconnected from others in their group. “It takes time,” he said. “It’s not one-size-fits-all.” He explained that the consistent weekly meetings and intentional small group structures are the keys to building trust. “Nobody is left behind,” he added.

When asked how programs are adapted for teenagers, Waksman highlighted themes of future resilience.

“With young people today, there’s anxiety, social pressure, school stress, and social media,” he said. “We focus on visualizing the future, on not giving up, and on learning how to try again.”

He added that these lessons are not limited to surfing but are also meant to translate into everyday life challenges.

He noted that, along with subsidizing his travel expenses, the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta also helped fund a group of survivors from Nahal Oz, a kibbutz near Gaza. As he left to return to Israel, his message to his listeners was rooted in simplicity: “Just take the next wave.”

Sadie Kitey and Nuriel Shimoni-Stoil are co-Editors-in-Chief of Weber’s Rampage school newspaper.