About us

WHO ARE WE?

The IRCS is a pioneering institution with the dedicated mission to promote awareness of resilience on the international stage, bridging theoretical knowledge with extensive practical expertise accumulated over years of experience.
The Institute is founded upon the foundational framework of trauma response and community resilience established in Sderot (Israel), and is determined to establish the city of Sderot as a global authority in municipal resilience and crisis management.

Alon Davidi

ALON DAVIDI, Mayor of Sderot

Alon Davidi is the acting mayor of the City of Sderot. His resilience approach to managing a city that is constantly under terror threats and attack, has proven its importance on October 7th. He is now leading the city and the region in recovery, based on resilience guidelines. “Sderot is much more than a city under attack. It's a city that deals with an ongoing threat but chooses every day to be a great, healthy, strong place to live in. After over 20 years of experience, we have become experts in crisis management and building and enhancing resiliency and we are honored to pass on our models, knowledge, and methods internationally.”

Ayelet Shmuel

AYELET SHMUEL, Director / Lead Expert

Ayelet Shmuel is a veteran expert in trauma, crisis response and resilience management. She has a long career as a clinical social worker and therapist (LCSW) in both Israel and the United States, with an advanced concentration on trauma/acute stress and emotional first aid response in war/terror-related crisis management. After years as a lead trainer and intervention facilitator in the mental health professional response team of the Sderot Resilience Center and clinical therapist to victims of terror and anxiety in Sderot and Ashkelon, Ayelet became a recognized leading voice in the field and actively trains professional and paraprofessional teams in Israel, the Gaza envelope, and abroad in psychological first aid and resilience management. Inspired and dedicated to building resilience and combatting trauma, Ayelet spearheaded the effort to take the framework of resilience developed in Sderot and the Gaza envelope and launch it to international awareness as the founding Director of the IRCS.

Linoy Karmi

Director of Administration and Social Media at the International Resilience Institute, Sderot Has a bachelor's degree in human resources and education Master's degree in business administration and human resource

Maayan Dekel Levi

Content Manager at the International Resilience Institute, Sderot. Holds a B.S.W. specializing in Stress, Trauma, and Resilience, an M.P.H. in Public Health (Emergency and Disaster Management), and an M.S.W. specializing in Trauma in Children and Adolescents.

OUR PROFESSIONAL TEAM

Crisis Response & Interventional Training Facilitators

Whether you’re an organization seeking growth or a community aiming to enhance the resilience of your team, our professional trainers are here to support you. 

At IRCS, we have a diverse professional team of clinical therapists living and working all across Israel, all of whom bring a wealth of experience and expertise in trauma care & response and resilience-building practices. Each team member holds advanced degrees in their respective fields and is committed to creating personalized strategies that foster mental and emotional strength. We understand that resilience is a dynamic and evolving process, and our trainers are here to guide you on your journey toward a strong and growing society.

 Explore our services and discover how we can help you cultivate resilience for a more fulfilling and balanced life.

WHAT DO WE DO?

At IRCS, we are committed to empowering diverse communities worldwide to effectively confront challenges and crises. We emphasize community and municipal resilience, fostering professional partnerships and knowledge-sharing. Serving as a central hub, we facilitate peer interactions, research, development, training, and international collaborations in the fields of resilience, crisis management, and emergency response.

OUR STRENGTHS:

Decades of Experience:
With over 20 years of living under constant threat and terror attacks, we have accumulated unparalleled expertise.

Community-Centric Approach:
We excel in municipal crisis management, elevating resilience on both individual and community levels.

Implementing Resilience Philosophy:
Our success in integrating resilience into the city’s fabric, a crucial element in facing diverse challenges.

Tested Knowledge:
Our knowledge has been tried and tested in sustained emergency situations, continuously evolving to meet new demands.

Living Laboratory:

Sderot serves as a dynamic environment for developing resilience tools and psychological interventions under ongoing emergencies.

Recovery from Trauma:
Our experience in transitioning from trauma to growth, despite regional instability, positions us as a beacon of resilience. 

After October 7th,
the city of Sderot is using the resilient roadmap to recovery that is rooted in its Local Disaster Management (LDM) workframe, and it is proving its success.