About the project
Eran, the Israeli Association for Emotional First Aid, was established in Jerusalem in 1971 by a group of mental health professionals in memory of Dr. A. Zaslany, a leading Jerusalem psychiatrist. The service provides an attentive listener on the phone to people who are lonely, in distress or suicidal. Volunteers help callers to assess their situation, consider available options and contact other agencies for ongoing help. By 1989, Eran had seven branches throughout the country that received a total of more than 3,000 calls per month and a core of 500 active volunteers for whom it provided training workshops and other support services. The Jerusalem Foundation has supported volunteer training and renovations to an apartment to serve as Eran’s Jerusalem branch in 1993. It has also provided general support for Eran services, including recruitment of Russian-, Amharic- and Arabic-speaking volunteers.
