From Isolation to Belonging: The Men’s Circle at WIZO’s Open House in Sderot

Returning home after a long period of evacuation, reserve duty, and life in the shadow of war has brought new and complex challenges for the residents of Sderot and the communities surrounding Gaza.

Alongside the support offered to women, families, and the wider community, WIZO’s Open House in Sderot identified another need emerging from the field: a dedicated space for men.

A place where they could pause for a moment.

A place where they could speak openly, process what they had been through, and begin rebuilding a sense of belonging.

That is how the Open House’s first men’s community was created.

The group brought together 12 men from Sderot and the surrounding area, ages 28 to 50. For many of them, it was the first time they had taken part in a framework that allowed open conversation about the personal, family, and emotional challenges of this period.

The community was facilitated by Jackie Geldate, a lecturer, consultant, and group facilitator specializing in personal, business, and organizational development. Over the course of ten meetings, each lasting between two and two and a half hours, the participants explored issues of personal resilience, communication within the family, relationships, fatherhood, conflict, identity, and their own place during a time of major change.

“The main goal was to create a social community that would provide personal, emotional, and mental support, each person according to his own needs,” explains Jackie Geldate. “We spoke about relationships, about the place of men in the home, about parenting, family communication, and the challenges each participant brought with him. Alongside the content, something very meaningful was created between us: a dynamic of openness, real friendship, and the feeling that no one is coping alone.”

The first cycle concluded with a special evening at the home of one of the participants in Moshav Yakhini, in the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council. The gathering marked the end of a formal process, but also the beginning of something more lasting: connection, listening, and mutual support.

For Yael Katzir, Director of WIZO’s Open House in Sderot, the men’s community reflects the wider role of the Open House as a flexible community space that grows according to the needs rising from the ground.

“During complex times, people need not only professional support, but also community and a sense of belonging,” she explains. “The men’s community is an example of the power of human connection, and of the ability of a local community to provide support, resilience, and strength to keep moving forward.”

Even after the ten meetings ended, the community that had been created continued independently. The group members kept meeting on their own and even came together for another social gathering to watch the World Cup final.

Following the strong response, WIZO’s Open House in Sderot is planning to open another cycle of the men’s community after the holidays.

For WIZO, the Open House in Sderot represents an important community model, one that can be adapted and developed for additional communities in the north and in other areas living close to conflict. Its strength lies in its ability to identify needs from the field and create tailored responses for individuals, families, and communities facing a complex reality.

At its heart, the men’s circle is a reminder that resilience is not built alone.

Sometimes, the first step toward strength is having a room where you can say what you are carrying, hear that others are carrying something too, and discover that community can become a source of healing.