THE 8 PROJECT
Creative
Rehabilitation
Program
A structured creative rehabilitation program for veterans and survivors of war and terror.
when you no longer feel like yourself?
The Need in Israel
Trauma affects individuals. Its impact reaches entire families.
Post Traumatic Stress
Adults surveyed who screened positive for PTSD symptoms.
May 2026Psychological Distress
Screened positive for PTSD, depression, or anxiety.
May 2026Children & Families
Mothers surveyed in reserve duty families reported emotional or behavioral changes in their children.
Presented June 2026Deaths by Suicide
Reported deaths among serving and former service members in 2026.
As of October 19Rehabilitation includes rebuilding everyday life
Sources: Brookdale & Clalit, May 2026; Reserve duty spouses survey, Knesset, June 2026; Alliance, October 19, 2026, citing Haaretz. Screening is not diagnosis. Family survey is not established as representative.
*Media reported total; verification pending. No causal link to PTSD established.
The Rehabilitation Framework
Built on lived experience
Founded by artist and combat veteran Tomer Peretz, who was diagnosed with PTSD 20 years ago. The program combines lived experience with professional expertise.
Structure & Accountability
Clear expectations, personal goals, and consistent participation help participants rebuild routine and take responsibility for their progress.
Professional Therapeutic Support
Qualified therapists provide care tailored to each participant's needs, alongside psychiatric consultation and oversight.
Stability
A dependable environment and practical support allow participants to focus on rehabilitation.
Connection, Purpose & Expression
Creative work and community help participants reconnect with themselves, build relationships, and develop a sense of purpose.
Art is our toolbox. Rebuilding everyday life is the goal.
Rehabilitation in Practice
A process that begins in Israel and continues beyond the program in Los Angeles
Before Arrival Israel
Our therapists and program managers begin supporting participants as soon as they are accepted into the program, while they are still in Israel.
The Program Los Angeles
During 1 to 3 months, participants follow a structured daily routine at Tomer Peretz's studio, developing personal projects with Tomer and artistic mentors. Qualified therapists provide individual and group support, alongside psychiatric consultation.
Housing, transportation, and daily needs provide stability away from familiar triggers. Life coaching and career guidance help participants consider their next steps.
Projects are exhibited and offered for sale through The 8 Project, building ownership, pride, and public recognition.
After Return Israel
Support continues after participants return to Israel, as they work to carry the progress made during the program into everyday life.
Early Observations
Elina Kogan, LICSW, MFT, MSW
Lead therapist with over 25 years of experience in trauma therapy in Israel and the United States.
Elina Kogan's review of participants' assessments before and after the program points to meaningful progress in psychological recovery, everyday functioning, and personal and social reintegration.
Psychological Recovery
Reduced symptoms of trauma, depression, anxiety, and stress.
Everyday Functioning
Greater independence and capacity to manage daily life, including employment.
Personal & Social Reintegration
Rebuilding relationships, pursuing education, and reconnecting with meaningful life goals.
These early findings suggest that the program's benefits extend beyond symptom reduction.
Our Alumni
Life beyond the program
Support the Next Chapter
$15,000 supports one participant's full rehabilitation program.
$15,000
Sponsor One Participant
Housing, professional care, creative resources, and daily stability throughout the program.
Full Program Budget
| Housing | $3,500 |
|---|---|
| Local Transportation & Insurance | $1,000 |
| Food & Daily Living | $1,000 |
| Therapeutic Support & Wellness | $1,000 |
| Cultural & Recreational Activities | $500 |
| Program Staff & Coordination | $3,000 |
| Artistic Mentorship | $1,500 |
| Creative Studio & Art Materials | $2,500 |
| Program Operations & Technology | $1,000 |
| Total per participant | $15,000 |
Support can be financial or in kind, such as providing an apartment or a vehicle for use during the program.
THE 8 PROJECT
Residents' Profiles
THE 8 PROJECT / ALUMNI STORIES
ANDREI KOZLOV
Building a Daily Life Around Art
Where He Started
Andrei was abducted from the Nova music festival on October 7 and held captive for eight months before being rescued in a daring Israeli military operation. Following his return from captivity, art became part of his next chapter. In October 2024, he began coming to Tomer Peretz's studio, becoming one of the earliest participants in what would develop into The 8 Project's creative rehabilitation program.
His Experience At The 8 Project
Andrei spent three months working at Tomer's studio. Showing up every day became a life-changing part of his experience, establishing a consistent creative routine and making art central to his daily life. He continued creating for another eight months at The 8 Project's gallery in New York, building on the practice he had begun with Tomer.
Where He Is Today
Andrei now lives in New York and is working toward his first exhibition. The daily commitment that began in Tomer's studio has developed into a sustained artistic practice and a new chapter in his life.
THE 8 PROJECT / ALUMNI STORIES
ARIEL ALMAKYS
Building an Independent Life After Combat
Where He Started
Ariel served in the Givati Brigade from 2021 to 2024. He fought during the October 7 attacks and continued serving in combat throughout the war until his discharge. Following his service, he faced the challenges of severe PTSD. Tomer Peretz met him at a retreat in Mexico for combat veterans living with severe PTSD. Their connection eventually brought Ariel to The 8 Project.
His Experience At The 8 Project
Ariel joined the program in May 2026 for approximately two months. He developed a photography project, taking responsibility for its production and editing. Working with Tomer, he also explored new visual art mediums and expanded his creative skills. His work explores memory, identity, resilience, and the personal realities of life after war.
Where He Is Today
After returning to Israel, Ariel moved out of his parents' home and rented an apartment in the Golan Heights. He now works at an advertising agency, beginning a new chapter of independent living and professional creative work.
THE 8 PROJECT / ALUMNI STORIES
DMITRY POMAZAN
From Documenting War to Studying Film
Where He Started
A professional photographer specializing in food, Dmitry spent a year serving as a combat reservist inside Gaza. He brought an old film camera with him, finding a source of stability in documenting his team's everyday life and the meals they prepared together.
His Experience At The 8 Project
Dmitry joined the program in October 2025 for six weeks. He quickly embraced the daily studio routine, often staying beyond scheduled hours to continue working. His project centered on the photographs he had taken during his service. He also began experimenting with abstract painting, developing works that complemented the mood and visual language of his photographs. All the works he created during the program are included in The 8 Project's exhibition.
Where He Is Today
After returning to Israel, Dmitry began a bachelor's degree in film. He is thriving in his studies, building on his background in photography and expanding his practice into a new medium.
THE 8 PROJECT / ALUMNI STORIES
NOAM YEHUDAI
Finding Her Own Creative Voice After Loss
Where She Started
Noam lost her younger brother at the Nova music festival on October 7. He was trapped with others in a container where they had sought shelter. For hours, his family tried desperately to reach him. He was murdered there. Noam shared a deep bond with her brother. After his death, her family campaigned for a state commission of inquiry into the failures of October 7, continually confronting the events of that day. For two years, Noam lived with severe depression. She tried to keep her brother's life present through her own, and her artwork focused exclusively on him and his memory.
Her Experience At The 8 Project
Noam joined the program in November 2025 for six weeks. The 8 Project connected her with Holocaust survivor and artist Gabriella Karin, who welcomed Noam into her studio to create together, working with clay and ceramics. The program also arranged a stay at a farm in upstate New York that offers therapeutic work with rescued animals. This experience deepened the process she had begun during the program. Noam created three works during the program, all of which are included in The 8 Project's exhibition.
Where She Is Today
After returning to Israel, Noam maintained the daily creative routine she had developed during the program. For the first time since losing her brother, she began making work about subjects beyond his life and death. She also works as a tattoo artist using a specialized technique and continues to expand her practice into additional artistic mediums.
THE 8 PROJECT / ALUMNI STORIES
ROTEM ZAMIR
Building a Life Around Art
Where She Started
An artist from Dimona, Rotem served as a military painter. During the war, she traveled with her team to bases across Israel, creating murals that brought warmth, color, and encouragement to soldiers' everyday surroundings. In July 2025, her younger brother, Asaf, was killed in a devastating incident in Gaza. Rotem and her family were abroad when they received the news. They had not known he was operating deep inside Gaza.
Her Experience At The 8 Project
Rotem joined the program in September 2025 for approximately two months. Alongside painting, she explored sculpture with a Ukrainian artist who had sought refuge in the United States. During the war in Ukraine, he had taught children to sculpt in underground subway stations while Russian bombardments continued above them. Their work together gave Rotem an opportunity to explore a new medium with an artist whose own experience connected creativity with life during war.
Where She Is Today
After completing the program, Rotem returned to Israel and rebuilt her studio beside her parents' home. Several months ago, she moved to central Israel, where she established a new studio of her own. She now works there every day, creating new work and investing in learning additional techniques and mediums.
THE 8 PROJECT / ALUMNI STORIES
SHAHAF SHARON
Discovering a New Creative Direction
Where He Started
Shahaf enlisted in the Nahal Brigade in 2021 and served as a sniper. Following October 7, he spent 132 days fighting inside Gaza, experiencing intense combat and the loss of close friends. After seeking help, he was diagnosed with PTSD. Tomer Peretz met him at a retreat in Mexico for combat veterans living with severe PTSD, where Shahaf learned about The 8 Project.
His Experience At The 8 Project
Shahaf joined the program in February 2026 for three months. Through its daily structure, creative freedom, and community, he found support for his ongoing recovery and gained tools and connections that helped him rebuild and move forward. During the program, he learned to tattoo and explored pencil drawing for the first time, discovering new ways to express himself and a creative direction he wanted to pursue.
Where He Is Today
After returning to Israel, Shahaf enrolled in professional tattoo training. He is now also studying painting and drawing, continuing to develop the skills and interests he discovered during the program.
THE 8 PROJECT / ALUMNI STORIES
SHAKED SALTON
From Participant to Mentor
Where She Started
Before the war, Shaked worked as an art director at a major advertising agency in Israel. She joined The 8 Project in August 2025, directly from reserve duty, after serving nearly 400 days as a search-and-rescue sergeant in the Home Front Command. Her service included working at ballistic missile impact sites during the war with Iran, where she encountered devastating scenes.
Her Experience At The 8 Project
During her three months in the program, Shaked reconnected with her creativity and rediscovered her passion for fashion design. After completing the program, she enrolled in college in Los Angeles, opening a new chapter in her personal and professional development.
Where She Is Today
Approximately a year after completing the program, Shaked returned to The 8 Project as a mentor, supporting incoming participants. She now draws on her own experience in the program to accompany others through their creative journeys.
THE 8 PROJECT / ALUMNI STORIES
TZABAR ALUSH
From Three Decades of Service to Art
Where He Started
Tzabar served for 30 years in Yamam, Israel's national counterterrorism unit. His career involved repeated close encounters with armed terrorists and high-risk operations to protect and rescue civilians. On October 7, Tzabar and his team fought terrorists at close range in communities near the Gaza border. As team leader, he led rescues of families whom other military and police forces had been unable to reach. He continued serving throughout the war.
His Experience At The 8 Project
Tzabar joined the program in August 2026 for one month. During the program, he participated in therapy for the first time in his life. He painted every day, from morning until evening, fully embracing the daily rhythm of an artist's life. The sustained time in the studio gave him space to focus on painting and establish a committed creative practice after decades of operational service.
Where He Is Today
After returning to Israel, Tzabar began studying art at HaMidrasha at Beit Berl College, building on the practice he developed during the program.
THE 8 PROJECT / ALUMNI STORIES
YOSEF MAIMON
From the Program to Bezalel
Where He Started
A Golani combat soldier, Yosef was wounded twice during the war. After his first injury, he returned to combat. His second injury came when a drone struck the dining hall at the Golani training base - an attack that also killed some of his closest friends. Tomer Peretz met him at a retreat in Mexico for combat veterans living with severe PTSD. Recognizing Yosef's remarkable artistic talent, Tomer invited him to The 8 Project. Before joining, Yosef underwent further clinical treatment in Israel, including treatment for addiction that had developed in the aftermath of his trauma.
His Experience At The 8 Project
Yosef joined the program in May 2026 for six weeks. He committed himself fully to the studio, arriving every day and often working until midnight. Working with oil paint for the first time, he developed a painting inspired by The Last Supper, honoring the friends he had lost in the dining hall attack. Creating the work helped him process his experience, while the daily studio practice rekindled his passion for art and became a way to rediscover himself.
Where He Is Today
Yosef returned to Israel with a portfolio and applied to study fine arts at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. He was accepted and is now a first-year student. He is also preparing to present his first exhibition at Beit Halochem.
THE 8 PROJECT / ALUMNI STORIES
ZOHAR EFARGAN
From Combat Photography to Design Studies
Where He Started
A 25-year-old photographer and emerging artist from southern Israel, Zohar served as a combat soldier and commander in the Paratroopers Brigade and continues to serve in the reserves with the 55th Brigade. Before the war, he traveled extensively, photographing cultures and wildlife around the world. When the October 7 attacks began, he returned from Nepal to serve, completing deployments across multiple fronts. Tomer Peretz met him at a retreat in Mexico for combat veterans living with severe PTSD and invited him to join The 8 Project.
His Experience At The 8 Project
Zohar joined the program in March 2026 for three months. He came to the studio every day, working in the two mediums he loves most: photography and painting. He developed a series of photographs documenting the daily realities of combat, which are now included in The 8 Project's exhibition. Alongside this photographic work, he painted extensively, further exploring his artistic voice.
Where He Is Today
After returning to Israel, Zohar resumed reserve duty while continuing to create consistently. He has been accepted to Shenkar and is preparing to begin a bachelor's degree, taking the next step in his development as an artist.
THE 8 PROJECT / PARTICIPANT STORIES
NETANEL
His Next Chapter Has Begun
His Background
At 24, Netanel has already lived through combat, loss, and the responsibility of fighting to save others. He served in the Egoz Unit from 2021 to 2024. On October 7, his team fought at the Kissufim outpost, retaking the base from Hamas terrorists and rescuing the female soldiers trapped inside. The cost was devastating. Three members of his team were killed and four were wounded. Of the thirteen who entered that day, only six remained uninjured. Netanel continued fighting in Gaza for another six months and later served in the reserves in Lebanon. The experiences accumulated across battlefields, while their impact followed him beyond his service. He is currently receiving treatment through Israel's Ministry of Defense.
His Next Chapter Has Begun
Netanel has arrived at The 8 Project and begun the program. After extended combat service, he now has dedicated time to focus on his own recovery. He is beginning to establish a daily rhythm of creative practice, therapeutic support, and connection. The work ahead is personal and ongoing, and he is still at the beginning.
Continued Support
Continued donor support will help provide the stability, care, and creative resources he needs to remain engaged in the program and explore a future beyond his military service.
THE 8 PROJECT / PARTICIPANT STORIES
NOA
Her Next Chapter Has Begun
Her Background
Noa served nearly three years of reserve duty in intelligence. That extended commitment occupied a significant period of her life, and she is now working to regain her sense of self and return to a functioning daily routine. Her story reflects a part of the war's impact that can be difficult to see: the personal work of rebuilding after prolonged service. Today, she is approaching that work with determination, seeking a way to reconnect with herself and move forward.
Her Next Chapter Has Begun
Noa has arrived at The 8 Project and begun the program. She is taking time to focus on regaining her sense of self and rebuilding a functioning daily life. These first days mark the beginning of a new routine, with space for creative exploration, therapeutic support, and community. Developing that routine will take sustained guidance and care.
Continued Support
Continued donor support will help sustain her participation, providing the housing, studio resources, and professional support that allow her to focus on this next stage of her recovery.
THE 8 PROJECT / PARTICIPANT STORIES
RONY
His Next Chapter Has Begun
His Background
During combat in Gaza, a piece of metal shrapnel tore through Rony's jaw. It missed an artery by just one millimeter. After receiving stitches, he returned to fighting. That narrow escape became one part of a much longer struggle. Rony served in the reserves throughout the war and now lives with PTSD, clinical depression, and anxiety. For two years, he has sought treatment, with little relief. He survived a wound that could have ended his life. Yet returning from combat has brought its own sustained challenges, and the treatments he has tried have not yet given him the relief he needs.
His Next Chapter Has Begun
Rony has arrived at The 8 Project and begun the program. He has taken another step toward recovery, bringing with him both the weight of his experiences and the willingness to try again. He is now beginning a daily routine built around creative work, therapeutic support, and community. This is the start of a process that needs time and consistent care.
Continued Support
Continued donor support will help sustain his place in the program, providing housing, studio access, materials, and professional guidance as he works toward a more stable daily life.
THE 8 PROJECT / INCOMING PARTICIPANTS
PNINA
Rebuilding for Herself and Her Family
Her Background
Pnina survived the Nova massacre on October 7. Since then, art has become a way to process and express what she lived through, giving her an outlet as she navigates the aftermath. Recently, she became a mother. Alongside the experiences she continues to carry, she now has the responsibilities of caring for a new life - and a powerful personal reason to keep moving forward. Her recovery is unfolding within this new chapter of motherhood, as she works to build a future for herself and her family.
Preparing To Join The 8 Project
Pnina is joining the program to gain tools, structure, and support for that future. Art is already part of her process; the program will give her dedicated time, mentorship, and a consistent framework in which to develop it further. With therapeutic support and a daily creative routine, she will have space to focus on her own needs while working toward a more stable life. The purpose is deeply personal: to rebuild for herself and for the family she is now raising.
THE 8 PROJECT / INCOMING PARTICIPANTS
YAKIR
Making Space to Rebuild
His Background
Beginning on October 7, Yakir served nearly 800 days of reserve duty in casualty identification. His responsibility was to identify civilians and soldiers killed during the war - a role that repeatedly brought him into contact with its most devastating consequences. This work demanded that he confront loss in its most immediate and difficult forms, again and again, over an extraordinary length of service. At home, Yakir is a father of four. Today, he struggles to function in daily life and to be present for his family. The effects of his service reach into the relationships and responsibilities that matter most to him.
Preparing To Join The 8 Project
Yakir is joining the program to find space, structure, and support through art. After spending so long carrying out a role centered on death and loss, he will have dedicated time to focus on his own life and recovery. Daily creative practice and professional guidance will offer a framework for rebuilding routine, expression, and connection. For Yakir, that work also carries a deeply personal purpose: finding his way back to greater presence with his children and family.
THE 8 PROJECT / INCOMING PARTICIPANTS
YALI
Finding a Way Forward Through Art
His Background
Yali was wounded on his first day fighting inside Gaza. Later, in Khan Younis, a close friend died in his arms. At just 23, he is carrying the impact of his own injury alongside the loss of someone he could not save. These experiences remain part of a deeply difficult period in his life. Yali sees art as a possible way forward. At a time when moving ahead is difficult, the desire to create offers a direction he wants to pursue.
Preparing To Join The 8 Project
Yali is joining the program to find the space, guidance, and support to create. He will have access to a daily studio practice, artistic mentorship, and therapeutic support within a community of people navigating life after trauma. The program will give him time to explore what he wants to express and how he wants to express it. The aim is to help him build a creative practice that can support his recovery and become part of the life he is beginning to shape beyond combat.