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Who We Are

Kol Haneshamot – Core Goals

1. Strengthen Families
We support parents of struggling teens with guidance, tools, and emotional connection.

2. Empower Through Resilience
Workshops and support groups help parents lead with calm strength and compassion.

3. Build a Healing Community
We create a safe space where no parent feels alone — a place of empathy and understanding.

4. Culturally Sensitive Support
Tailored help for Anglo families in Israel, blending emotional insight with Torah values.

5. Break the Silence
We raise awareness, reduce stigma, and foster open conversation about mental health in the religious world.

6. Offer Real Tools
Practical, Torah-aligned parenting resources that actually work — even in crisis.

7. Change the Narrative
When parents grow, everything shifts. Healing begins at home — and it saves lives.

Don’t go it alone. Your family can’t afford it.

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Image by Dev Asangbam

One Family in Pain: How Kol Haneshamot Began

Kol Haneshamot began with the silent heartbreak of a single family. Their teenage son was spiraling — emotionally distant, withdrawn, and unreachable. His parents were overwhelmed, desperate to reconnect, but nothing seemed to help. Eventually, he moved out. The home was filled with pain, fear, and helplessness.

But they didn’t give up.

They began to think differently. Reaching out to others who had walked this path, they connected with experts like Avi Fishoff of Twisted Parenting and Rabbi Shimon Russell, LCSW. Together, they began to build a new kind of response — one rooted in compassion, presence, and emotional safety.

That journey became the foundation of what we now call “crisis chinuch” — a Torah-rooted, heart-centered approach to parenting teens in distress.

Today, that child is back. Smiling. Safe. Reconnected.


And thanks to what they learned, many other families never had to reach that point.

We know how to help because we’ve been there and tried everything else.

First contact.  First responders.

As our network quietly grew, one family became many. Parents who once felt alone found each other — listening, sharing, and beginning to hope again.

Along the way, we discovered a truth that remains at the heart of Kol Haneshamot:

No matter how many professionals are involved, it is the family who feels the crisis first.

The pain enters the home long before it reaches a therapist’s office. Which means the parents are not bystanders — they are the first responders.

And first responders need more than love.


They need support. They need tools. And they need to make the home a place of emotional refuge.

Because for a teen who has lost faith in the future, the home must become the first place where healing feels possible — where acceptance is real, relationships are safe, and dignity is never in question.

This is our vision. This is our mission.
To stand with families. To give them strength.
And to ensure no parent ever has to walk this journey alone.

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Our Mission

Strengthening Families. Saving Lives.

Kol Haneshamot strengthens families of at-risk teens by empowering parents with compassionate support, practical tools, and a community rooted in Torah values and emotional understanding.

We believe that true healing begins in the home. By guiding parents through their most difficult moments with sensitivity, cultural awareness, and evidence-based strategies, we help rebuild trust, restore connection, and foster resilience.

Our mission is not to “fix” teens—but to fortify the families who love them.

Through our unique parent-centered approach, Kol Haneshamot creates lasting change—one heart, one home, one soul at a time.

Guidance

It’s not easy to swallow our pride and admit there’s a lot we don’t know.  Reaching out to people who’ve been in this spot before and following their lead is our first step.

Awareness

We weren’t born with all the knowledge we need in this world.  We have to open our minds and find out everything we can about our child’s situation and what we can do to help.

Acceptance

Our struggling youth are people on a journey – just like anyone else.  At times, this journey will seem dysfunctional, rebellious, and destructive.  We need to forgive ourselves and accept our kids for who they are.

Prevention

If acceptance can lay the foundation to help a child repair, it can also prevent significant issues in the first place.  We must become proactive in maintaining a supportive, warm home environment.

Meet Our Team

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Yaakov Lazar

Co-Founder and

Executive Director

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Shelly Lazar

Co-Founder and Director of Women’s Programming

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