ERAN (Emotional First Aid) provides a voluntary humanitarian service, including emotional assistance and life-saving emotional support to the entire Israeli public in all its sectors, anonymously and immediately, 24hours a day, all year round. ERAN’s support services are available by phone and online.
ERAN operates as a central and leading national body in the field of mental health assistance, taking part in national and international projects in the field of mental health, welfare and national resilience.
ERAN holds the status of Special Advisor to the United Nations Economic and Social Council and is a member of the International Federation of Aid Organizations around the world.
Branches and Centers
Volunteers
Annual Calls
Annual Calls from Children and Youth
Calls with Suicidal Content
For 54 years, ERAN has been a pioneering organization, proudly leading the art of listening in Israel. We operate the largest hotline in the country, available by phone and online, which actively saves lives. ERAN functions as a central national body for initial emotional first aid, participating in national and international projects related to mental health, welfare, and national resilience. This includes holding special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and being a member of the International Federation of Telephone Emergency Services (IFOTES) and the Crisis Hotlines International (CHI) organizations.
In 2013, ERAN was awarded the “Effectiveness Award” for its exceptional, change-making achievements and its impact in providing emotional first aid to people in distress. This award recognized ERAN as an inspiring example of effective social action for a better Israeli society.
In May 2022, ERAN was selected to receive the “President’s Award for Volunteerism 2022.” This award was granted to ERAN for its contribution to providing emotional assistance to every caller in need. The award was dedicated to those who work towards partnership and solidarity for the benefit of individuals, society, and the environment, striving to create an exemplary society in the State of Israel.
ERAN is the largest national voluntary organization in Israel that provides emotional first aid in routine times and in situations of emergency and war.
Every year, ERAN’s volunteers respond and assist over 300,000 calls, about 850 calls a day, saving the lives of hundreds of lives in Israel. Over 9,000calls a year have suicidal content, on average one out of every ten calls develops into a risk call during which an emergency procedure is activated and the applicant’s life is saved!
ERAN operates dedicated assistance services for a variety of populations, including Holocaust survivors, regular and reserve soldiers, lone soldiers, new immigrants in a variety of different languages, teenagers and young adults, parents after childbirth, the ultra-Orthodox community and the Arab sector in Israel.
ERAN operates a professional training center for organizations in Israel and around the world, educational frameworks, public and business companies, as well as for private groups, who wish to learn the language of listening and how to provide life-saving emotional first aid.
It also conducts dedicated training for managers and HR managers in companies, with the aim of maintaining the mental well-being of the staff and strengthening their mental resilience.
ERAN works on an ongoing basis to make the values of listening and assistance services accessible to anyone who needs an attentive ear and empathy. We work in cooperation in various communities throughout the country and conduct workshops and training that teach the language of listening – among local councils, educational networks, community centers and community centers, study and teaching centers, universities and colleges, aid agencies – National Insurance, police, fire department, hospitals, Clinics and more.
ERAN’s presence on social networks and websites promotes the language of ERAN and the values of listening and mental resilience, which include active listening, inclusion, patience and tolerance, acceptance of the different and the other, non-judgment and criticism, empathy, encouragement, normalization and reflection.
ERAN is the national organization that assists many organizations in Israel and around the world, including Google Israel and global META, in preventing suicide in Israel through the social networks: YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
In 2022, cooperation was expanded to include TikTok Israel and the messaging network X (formerly Twitter). The cooperation with the social networks enables ERAN to alert to risk situations that require immediate intervention and to refer users for assistance.
ERAN is a member of the National Council for Suicide Prevention at the Ministry of Health and an observer on the National Council for Post-Trauma at the Ministry of Health .As part of its activities to save lives and prevent suicide, ERAN works in close professional cooperation with the IDF, the Military Police and the Negotiations Unit of the Israel Police and the Hotline Squad, a cooperation that saves hundreds of lives a year, in practice.
Since 1971, ERAN has been a pioneering organization, proudly leading the art of listening in Israel. We operate the largest hotline in the country, available by phone and online, which actively saves lives. ERAN functions as a central national body for initial emotional first aid, participating in national and international projects related to mental health, welfare, and national resilience. This includes holding special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and being a member of the International Federation of Telephone Emergency Services (IFOTES) and the Crisis Hotlines International (CHI) organizations.
In 2013, ERAN was awarded the “Effectiveness Award” for its exceptional, change-making achievements and its impact in providing emotional first aid to people in distress. This award recognized ERAN as an inspiring example of effective social action for a better Israeli society.
In May 2022, ERAN was selected to receive the “President’s Award for Volunteerism 2022.” This award was granted to ERAN for its contribution to providing emotional assistance to every caller in need. The award was dedicated to those who work towards partnership and solidarity for the benefit of individuals, society, and the environment, striving to create an exemplary society in the State of Israel.
ERAN is the largest national voluntary organization in Israel that provides emotional first aid in routine times and in situations of emergency and war.
Every year, ERAN’s volunteers respond and assist over 300,000 calls, about 850 calls a day, saving the lives of hundreds of lives in Israel. Over 9,000calls a year have suicidal content, on average one out of every ten calls develops into a risk call during which an emergency procedure is activated and the applicant’s life is saved!
ERAN operates dedicated assistance services for a variety of populations, including Holocaust survivors, regular and reserve soldiers, lone soldiers, new immigrants in a variety of different languages, teenagers and young adults, parents after childbirth, the ultra-Orthodox community and the Arab sector in Israel.
ERAN operates a professional training center for organizations in Israel and around the world, educational frameworks, public and business companies, as well as for private groups, who wish to learn the language of listening and how to provide life-saving emotional first aid.
It also conducts dedicated training for managers and HR managers in companies, with the aim of maintaining the mental well-being of the staff and strengthening their mental resilience.
ERAN works on an ongoing basis to make the values of listening and assistance services accessible to anyone who needs an attentive ear and empathy. We work in cooperation in various communities throughout the country and conduct workshops and training that teach the language of listening – among local councils, educational networks, community centers and community centers, study and teaching centers, universities and colleges, aid agencies – National Insurance, police, fire department, hospitals, Clinics and more.
ERAN’s presence on social networks and websites promotes the language of ERAN and the values of listening and mental resilience, which include active listening, inclusion, patience and tolerance, acceptance of the different and the other, non-judgment and criticism, empathy, encouragement, normalization and reflection.
ERAN is the national organization that assists many organizations in Israel and around the world, including Google Israel and global META, in preventing suicide in Israel through the social networks: YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
In 2022, cooperation was expanded to include TikTok Israel and the messaging network X (formerly Twitter). The cooperation with the social networks enables ERAN to alert to risk situations that require immediate intervention and to refer users for assistance.
ERAN is a member of the National Council for Suicide Prevention at the Ministry of Health and an observer on the National Council for Post-Trauma at the Ministry of Health .As part of its activities to save lives and prevent suicide, ERAN works in close professional cooperation with the IDF, the Military Police and the Negotiations Unit of the Israel Police and the Hotline Squad, a cooperation that saves hundreds of lives a year, in practice.
For over five decades, ERAN’s volunteers and professional staff have been extending a hand to people in times of stress and crisis, with discretion and humility.
Each of us, and those close to us, encounters difficult moments in life, moments of crisis, pain, or hardship. In many cases, a feeling of helplessness arises, along with a need to share the distress, to find a listening ear and a supportive shoulder that can guide and strengthen with kind and supportive words, with compassion and acceptance, without judgment, blame, or criticism.
ERAN provides a safe space for sharing and a source of resilience for hundreds of thousands of callers. The range of calls to ERAN is broad and includes providing assistance to all citizens of Israel, at any age and for any type of distress, big or small.
People who contact ERAN include Israeli citizens – children, teenagers, young adults, soldiers, adults, and seniors – coping with emotional and mental distress. This includes: loneliness, anxiety and trauma, suicidality, shaming and bullying, violence and abuse, depression, adolescence crises, eating disorders, self-image and sexual identity, interpersonal relationships and partnerships, parenting difficulties and family crises, mental distress of Holocaust survivors, absorption difficulties for new immigrants, difficulties during military service (regular and reserve), lone soldiers, sexual assault, self-harm, financial and employment distress, coping with physical/mental disabilities, individuals with mental health challenges, and more.
In hundreds of cases, ERAN volunteers are involved in saving the lives of people who have lost the will to live.
The ERAN association was established in Jerusalem in 1971 by Ms. Maria Berta Zaslany in memory of her husband, Dr. Arieh Zaslany.
Dr. Zaslany served for over 18 years as the director of mental health services for schools in Jerusalem and as a psychiatric consultant for the Jerusalem Municipality. He specialized in treating suicidal individuals and successfully dissuaded many from taking their own lives. Dr. Zaslany passed away in 1968 at the age of 57.
After his death, his wife, Maria Berta, founded the ERAN organization, which specializes in providing emotional first aid over the phone to people in distress. The organization, whose first branch was in Zaslany’s home, grew into a national association with a network of volunteers across Israel and globally.
Today, ERAN operates the largest hotline in Israel, offering emotional first aid services by phone and online, to all segments of the Israeli public, anonymously and immediately.
Each year, ERAN’s volunteers provide support and assistance to over 300,000 calls, averaging about 850 calls per day, and save the lives of hundreds of individuals in Israel. Over 9,000 calls annually contain suicidal content, and on average, one in every ten calls develops into a high-risk situation during which an emergency protocol is activated, and the caller’s life is saved.
ERAN operates support and assistance services, providing psychological first aid to diverse communities and populations within Israeli society. Our volunteers are skilled in helping callers from all sectors and communities in Israel, across all ages and family situations.
ERAN’s services also include dedicated support for soldiers and their families, emotional support for mothers and fathers after childbirth, a special helpline for Holocaust survivors and seniors, a Kosher line for the Haredi community, mental health support for families of hostages, a dedicated support service for Nova festival survivors, support and assistance for new immigrants and returning residents in five languages (English, Russian, Amharic, French, and Spanish), and a helpline in Arabic.
Joining the ERAN volunteer family is open to anyone over the age of 25, from all professional backgrounds, who possesses the ability to listen, understand, and empathize.
To volunteer at ERAN, you need to of speak, read and write Hebrew fluently. The volunteer training is conducted in Hebrew only.
ERAN volunteers are attentive to every person in distress, providing anonymous psychological support and assistance 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
With ERAN, you can speak with volunteers from diverse professional backgrounds: education, medicine, economics, law, welfare and therapy, high-tech and industry, academia, security and military, culture, music and art, students, retirees, parents, grandparents – all sharing a common denominator: a listening ear, an open heart, and a readiness to assist anyone in emotional distress.
Our volunteers undergo rigorous screening processes, followed by extensive practical and theoretical training. This training equips them with the life-saving skills needed to provide emotional first aid via phone or online.
ERAN currently has approximately 1,850 volunteers, of whom 300 operate our online support services. Additionally, 200 volunteers are located around the world.
ERAN volunteers operate in 17 centers and branches across Israel and globally.
12 ERAN centers for phone support span the country from Karmiel in the north to Be’er Sheva in the south. These are joined by 2 nationwide branches: the ERAN Plus branch, which began operations in 2023, and the Internet branch, which provides the association’s online support services.
As part of ERAN’s international activities, 3 branches and additional outposts operate in North America and Australia.
In May 2022, ERAN was selected to receive the President’s Award for Volunteerism. This award was dedicated to all ERAN volunteers who work towards partnership and solidarity for the benefit of individuals, society, and the environment, striving to create an exemplary society in the State of Israel.
To volunteer at ERAN, you need to speak, read, and write Hebrew fluently. The volunteer training is conducted in Hebrew only.
ERAN’s staff is about 50 men and women, including the headquarters and management staff, professional teams in the branches consisting of managers and coordinators of the branches.
ERAN’s Board of Directors is unique in its composition and consists of a representative from each branch who are selected by the branch’s volunteers in an audited process once every three years. Participation in the Board of Directors is for a term of 3 years, which can be extended for an additional period of 3 years (a total of 6 years).
The Board of Directors is headed by a chairman, the term of office as Chairman is similar to that of the members of the Executive Committee and is limited to two terms of 3 years each.
The Executive Committee also includes two public representatives.
ERAN cooperates with the Israel Internet Association and the 105 Hotline, the National Bureau for the Protection of Children Online, in order to offer emotional support and psychological first aid to victims of bullying and violence on the Internet, and to remove offensive content of a sexual and violent nature.
In addition, the organization operates a monitoring patrol for suicidal content on the Internet and works to save human lives on social networks and the Internet.
ERAN is a founding member of the Israeli Trauma Coalition, focusing on preparedness and response to national emergencies in Israel and disaster events worldwide.
Joint projects between ERAN and the Israeli Trauma Coalition have included:
In addition, ERAN joined the National Council for Trauma as an observer on behalf of the Ministry of Health.
