JNF UK hosted a one-of-a-kind event bringing together over 600 participants to Dance for Israel in simultaneous live Zumba sessions held in both Tel Aviv and London, connected via livestream. Dance for Israel was a unique and uplifting way to commemorate the strength of the Israeli people, showing that even in the face of adversity, “we will dance again.”                       

Participants from both cities moved in a sea of blue, demonstrating their solidarity with Israel while raising vital funds for SafeHeart, an organisation providing crucial clinical mental health support for survivors of the October 7th festivals massacre.

The event, held on October 20th, was masterfully hosted by Israeli public figure Eylon Levy in Tel Aviv and British television presenter Rachel Riley MBE in London, who both also took part in the dancing themselves. Their shared passion for Israel shone through as they energetically led the crowd throughout the entire event, uniting participants in both cities through dance and resilience. Rachel said, “It’s been incredibly hard listening to the stories from the Nova Festival and although we can’t bring back people who were killed that day, we certainly can help those who survived to rebuild their lives. For a group whose motto is “we will dance again”, it was particularly meaningful and so much fun trying to keep up with the brilliant Zumba instructors as our way to show solidarity with them.”

Leading the lively Zumba sessions were renowned instructors Fredy Montero in London and Osher Cohen in Tel Aviv, who infused the event with their infectious energy and passion for dance, inspiring everyone to move, connect, and celebrate together.

It has now been over a year since the Nova music festival in southern Israel turned into the most horrific scene, with hundreds of festival goers murdered, injured, or kidnapped by Hamas terrorists. SafeHeart plays an essential role in the healing process for those affected by the traumatic events. The organisation currently has over 350 licensed therapists and supports more than 1,000 survivors. It provides an emergency psychiatric team, weekly clinical therapy sessions, retreats, group therapy, and a family support network for relatives of survivors. Proceeds from this event will now ensure that SafeHeart can continue offering a lifeline to the survivors who have suffered such unimaginable trauma.

Dana Zohar JNF UK Project Funding Manager and Dance for Israel Manager, expressed her gratitude for the support of the UK and Israeli communities for attending and main event sponsor Mizrahi Tefahot Bank LTD and added, “As a passionate Zumba lover, I knew that dance could be a powerful way to bring people together during such a difficult time. Since the devastating events of October 7th, JNF UK has been committed to supporting the rebuilding and healing of Israel, and SafeHeart is just one of the amazing organisations we are proud to partner with in this mission. The message ‘We Will Dance Again’ deeply resonated with me—it symbolises Israel’s resilience in the face of adversity. That’s how the idea for Dance for Israel came to life: uniting people through dance to raise essential funds for those Nova Festival survivors who simply wanted to dance on that fateful day.”

Karina Dessau, co-founder of SafeHeart and head of holistic treatments expressed her gratitude for the fundraising efforts of JNF UK. You can still donate to SafeHeart using the form below.