“They told me, ‘You’re healthy now.’ But I couldn’t get out of bed. I couldn’t return to work. I didn’t recognize myself.”
This is not a rare story. In fact, for thousands of women across Israel who have completed cancer treatments, it is just the beginning of a new and complex chapter one marked by exhaustion, anxiety, uncertainty, and deep loneliness.
But now, something is shifting.
Earlier this week, dozens gathered in Rishon LeZion to celebrate the official launch of Israel’s first recovery and wellness center for women post-cancer, created by the nonprofit organization “SHEna, your life” . This emotional evening wasn’t just about opening a physical space. It was about launching a movement.
Healing Begins Where Treatment Ends
Founded by Dikla Shir Pariente, herself a survivor of breast cancer, the organization was born from a simple but powerful truth: the medical system knows how to treat cancer, but offers almost nothing for the long road of recovery that follows.
"42% of survivors leave their workplace after cancer. Many never return to full-time employment. They are physically drained, emotionally overwhelmed, and socially isolated," Pariente explains. “Yet society expects them to ‘bounce back’ as if nothing happened.”
With no structured recovery plan, thousands of women find themselves falling through the cracks. That’s where SHEna steps in.
The First Center of Its Kind
The newly launched center in Rishon LeZion is the first of its kind in Israel. Designed specifically for post-treatment women, it offers a warm, nature-inspired environment where survivors can rebuild their lives at their own pace.
The center provides integrative therapies, including emotional counseling, movement classes, nutritional guidance, support groups, and vocational coaching. Most uniquely, it also offers access to shared office spaces and workshop areas for women seeking to re-enter the workforce or explore new career paths, free of charge.
“Our goal is not only to provide services, but to give women the tools, space, and support they need to restart. To remember who they are. To believe they can thrive again,” says Pariente.
Built by Survivors, Powered by Community
SHEna is operated entirely by volunteers many of them survivors themselves. The center’s warmth is not an aesthetic choice. It reflects a deeper philosophy: healing happens in community, not isolation.
The organization serves women from across the central and southern regions of Israel, with close ties to Shamir Medical Center which treats a socioeconomically diverse population, many of whom lack access to private recovery care.
To date, SHEna has supported women through wellness programs, educational content, public awareness campaigns, and advocacy initiatives. But the new center opens the door to impacting thousands more and redefining how survivorship is treated nationally.
Not Just Recovery Policy Change
Beyond direct care, SHEna’s long-term vision is to integrate post-cancer recovery into Israel’s public health framework.
“Recovery should not be a luxury. It should be a right,” Pariente asserts. “We’re working to ensure that every hospital discharge includes a roadmap for rehabilitation and that women don’t walk alone.”
Looking Ahead And Inviting Support
The launch event, held in the open garden space of the new center, included a keynote lecture by behavioral economics expert Prof. Dan Ariely, a vocal advocate for compassionate systems design.abd and professor Osnat lev Zion korach the head of Shamir hospital The evening was made possible by generous donors and supporters who believe in SHEna’s mission.
Tefen an international management consulting firm, REALITY GROUP (Advot foundation), and private Hart worming Israeli citizens.
How to Help
SHEna is now seeking partnerships, philanthropic allies, and ambassadors to help expand its reach and impact.
Your support will allow us to reach more women across the country and open additional recovery centers throughout Israel. To learn more, get involved, or donate, visit: www.she-na.org
Because recovery is not the end of the story. It’s where life begins again.