For callers from Germany
0800-0001642
Activity time:
Every day of the week 20:00-22:00
Tuesdays & Thursdays 10:00-12:00
For callers from Germany
0800-0001642
Activity time:
Every day of the week 20:00-22:00
Tuesdays & Thursdays 10:00-12:00
‘Matan’ – a Hebrew-language emotional support hotline – is a grassroots project that grew out of the Hebrew-speaking community in Germany and was founded at the initiative of Zusammen Berlin (ICE e.V.) for the community itself. ‘Matan’ is a new project of the counseling center OFEK e.V. and the welfare organization of Jews in Germany (ZWST), aimed at offering telephone support in Hebrew for Hebrew speakers in Germany who are experiencing difficulties or distress. The project was established following the many distress calls received from Israelis in Germany, which clearly indicated that support is needed for Israeli migrants in moments of distress, and that this support must be available in Hebrew. Since October 2023, the line has also been available to Hebrew speakers across Europe.
The project operates in professional collaboration with KTS, the German emotional support line (Kirchliche TelefonSeelsorge), and offers initial support in times of distress through empathic listening. In addition, the project has a secondary goal of making German services more accessible to Hebrew speakers. To achieve these goals, the project carefully selects and thoroughly trains its volunteers through a professional and in-depth training program.
The support line is staffed by a team of approximately 20 volunteers and is available every evening between 20:00–22:00, and on Tuesday and Thursday mornings between 10:00–12:00.
The project is headed by Nitzan Meilin, who holds a Master’s degree in Social Work as a Human Rights Profession from Alice Salomon University in Berlin, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education and Jewish History and a Master’s degree (with distinction) in Israel Studies from the University of Haifa. Nitzan is responsible for team and volunteer management, recruitment and training, networking and collaborations with various organizations, strategy development, and budget management. She believes that grassroots initiatives allow for targeted and necessary responses to community needs, and that the essence of the project lies in its close connection to realities on the ground and to changing needs. Nitzan has led ‘Matan’ from its very beginning — from identifying needs on the ground, all the way through the founding of the project, finding partners and mobilizing resources, and ultimately launching the line.
Alongside Nitzan works a professional team of seven practitioners — psychologists and social workers. The team first came together as volunteers in June 2019 to gain a deep understanding of the needs on the ground and determine how best to meet them. The team played a central role in establishing the project — identifying those needs and shaping the line’s professional standards.
Today, the team is involved in recruiting and training volunteers, coordinates shifts on the line, and provides professional consultation and support to the line’s volunteers. The project and the entire team are also supported by selected representatives from the OFEK counseling center and from KTS, the German emotional support line, for training and to maintain high professional standards.