It takes you out of your uncomfortable routine. It makes you happy, because it’s not fun knowing that you’re in a hospital,
said 10-year-old Yuval Atzmon, describing interactive theater performances brought by the Gilat Foundation to pediatric hospitals across Israel.
The Gilat Foundation uses therapeutic theater to uplift disabled and injured children in hospitals. Founded in memory of Tali and Jair Eisenmann’s daughter, Gilat, who passed away in 2008 at age 11, the initiative brings interactive programs led by trained actor-therapists to four hospitals: Shaare Zedek Medical Center, ALYN Hospital, Shalva National Center, and the Kerem Institute. The program has served around 4,000 children.
Healing Through Interactive Performance
For children undergoing medical treatments and demanding rehabilitation exercises, the performances offer a vital escape. Yuval came to ALYN Hospital’s Pediatric and Adolescent Rehabilitation Center in Jerusalem after undergoing complex surgery at Hadassah Hospital. Her father, Guy Atzmon, noted that the shows allowed her to feel like a child again amid constant medical directives.
We are not here to make big shows, but we are there to make the children smile and be happy again with all the misery they have,
Jair Eisenmann said.
Expansion and Impact During Wartime
Following the onset of the war in Israel, the foundation expanded its efforts to support children facing additional upheaval from conflict, injuries, or illness. Shlomi Eisenmann, Gilat’s cousin, noted that an education head at ALYN Hospital reported an 80% increase in children’s well-being in just two months after the war started.
The foundation is set to expand its program to four more hospitals this year, starting with Hadassah after Sukkot.
Family and Foundation Support
Tali Eisenmann emphasized that the foundation’s approach focuses on supporting both patients and their families during chronic illness. Reflecting on the mission inspired by his daughter, Shlomi Eisenmann stated, Theater was Gilat’s passion. Even though she was physically impaired, mentally, she was sharp as a knife.
