Our Story
Daniella Pardes was a fun-loving, spunky child until anorexia hijacked her at the age of 13. After a three month hospitalization, Daniella tried to return to her school and to the friends whom she loved, but she did not succeed in reintegrating.Her mother Hadassa, searched for a therapeutic program which would absorb, protect and mainstream her back into her world. Unfortunately, she never found one suitable to her needs. 5 months later, on December 11, 2017 at the tender age of 14, Daniella took her own life.
Beit Daniella is designed to provide for other teens who are suffering like her, what Daniella was missing- a rehabilitative stepping stone combining schooling, a wide range of therapies, and functional responsibility.
What is Beit Daniella?
A supportive and potentially life-saving recovery day center for youth who are struggling with mental health issues, Beit Daniella is a short term (4 to 6 month) program that provides youth with vital skills to transition back into their families, schools and communities.
Situated in a natural setting with an emphasis on animal-assisted therapy, Beit Daniella aims to help youth to build on their strengths, to develop resilience, to learn to better regulate their emotional states , to take responsibility and to develop functional skills for a life worth living. Appreciating that parents are the primary caretakers of their child , Beit Daniella also provides parents with skills and support to help themselves and their child to cope with his/her challenges.
Beit Daniella has received recognition from the Ministry of Health as the first and only community-based, mental health day treatment center for youth. Our long term vision is to open up Beit Daniellas across the country to fill a major gap in youth mental health services in Israel to treat the growing numbers of teens suffering with mental health conditions.
Who attends Beit Daniella?
Beit Daniella serves non-denominational youth between the ages of 13 to 18 (Grades 8 -12) who are struggling with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, OCD, post trauma, borderline personality disorder and eating disorders. Beit Daniella’s teens are either post-hospitalization are they are at home, not functioning, not attending school and in danger due to their mental health conditions. Beit Daniella is not suited for youth in acute states who require hospitalization and/or constant supervision.
Our Locations
Judean Hills - Tzur Hadassah
Established in 2019, our flagship branch is located in Tzur Hadassah in the Judean Hills on the premises of Havat Harei Yehuda Horse Stables, within a half an hour from Jerusalem, Gush Etzion and Beit Shemesh. Surrounded by verdant views and cultivated horticulture, our pastoral setting is an integral part of Beit Daniella’s healing experience. Animals are a natural part of our landscape - in addition to horses, there are dogs, cats, goats, chickens, parakeets and peacocks! In keeping with our community oriented, integration focused approach, Beit Daniella is situated in an existing stables that is open to the public for lessons and therapeutic horseback riding. As such, Beit Daniella, Tzur Hadassa combines the healing properties of nature with openness, connection and integration to community.
Southern Branch - Moshav Shibolim
On September 1st Beit Daniella opened its Southern Branch located in a lovely space on Moshav Shibolim, strategically located within range of all the Gaza Envelope communities. Our space in Shibolim combines the raw beauty of the southern landscape, the rustic feel of Moshav life with modern facilities. On the premises there is beautiful expanse of outdoor spaces, combined with horticulture and a customized therapeutic dog kennel. The horrific events of October 7th and their aftermath - terror, war, loss and displacement - have had a devastating impact on youth from Southern Israel. An alarming number of teens are suffering from trauma, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, suicide ideation etc, and have nowhere to go. With a focus on trauma treatment, Beit Daniella’s Southern branch is designed to provide that critical therapeutic framework to treat, rehabilitate and reintegrate southern youth back into their lives, schools and communities.