The Sail Program

The Sail Program makes the most of the sea, sailing, the benefits of group travel, and professional knowledge to aid the group and individuals, and to produce a life-changing journey.

We invite you to take part in an exceptional experience that will enable you to process your loss through the elements at sea. The meetings are held on a ship, which was brought from the Netherlands for the purpose of facilitating social and therapeutic activity in Israel. Sailing on a ship creates a space that facilitates sharing and coping with difficulties in a supportive, peaceful, and relaxed environment, strengthening personal and group resilience all by way of gently lapping waves and the soothing flow of the water. This year, there will be two groups for widow and widowers and two groups for orphans.

The program includes sailing sessions throughout the year, as well as learning to operate and maneuver the boat, accompanied by a trained skipper, a certified group leader, and two additional members of staff. It is our belief that the sailing experience will help develop insights and create transformation for everyday life.                                                                                                    The sea is an invitation for personal and group reflection; the journey at sea often runs parallel to the journey we partake of in life: Raising the sails can be viewed as raising your inner sails, facing and overcoming difficulties, and choosing to move forward alongside hardship and loss.                                                                                                                                            Steering and navigation symbolize the ability to regain control of our lives in reality.     Turmoil and storms at sea echo the turmoil of life. Our ability to overcome upheavals to safely maneuver and improve our sense of security ensures a profound and empowering experience.

Program participants talk about their sailing experience:

• I’m glad I got to experience the Sail Program this year. I feel that the program helped me a lot in my private life managing and overcoming life’s obstacles. I met amazing people and experienced camaraderie and the sense of being understood.

• I leave filled with gratitude for each sailing trip; for the privilege of meeting people like me, for the conversations, for the experience at sea, for the staff that accompanied us.

• I’ve been in a supportive group before, but this was so different. The sea, the waves, the sunsets, the conversations that are possible at sea. And the sense of closeness with the particpants and others in the group.