LGBTQ helpline: one call can save a life

The psychological support hotline "Yesh Im Mi Ledaber" ("There's Someone to Talk To"), operating under the Israel LGBTQ Rights Association, is running an awareness campaign. The impetus was the story of a person who called the line daily but died by suicide, bequeathing funds to the project. In the first half of 2026, the line received 1,130 calls, 42 of which were cases of acute crisis or suicide risk. An anonymous call changed the life of A., who grew up in a religious family and was sent to conversion "therapy."

The psychological support hotline "Yesh Im Mi Ledaber" ("There's Someone to Talk To"), operating for nearly three decades under the Israel LGBTQ Rights Association and staffed entirely by volunteers, is running an awareness campaign in media and social networks. The impetus was the tragic story of a person who called the line almost daily but could not be saved—he died by suicide, bequeathing a substantial sum to the project for expansion. According to the association's data, in the first half of 2026, the line received 1,130 calls, 42 of which were classified as cases of "acute psychological crisis" or "suicide risk." Analysis of a small sample of calls with suicidal intentions shows that callers ranged in age from 16 to 34, most were under 30, and about half were on the transgender spectrum. The article recounts the story of an anonymous caller, A., who grew up in a religious-national family. In his teens, he developed suicidal thoughts, and a rabbi sent him to conversion "therapy," banned in many countries. A. believes that if he had known about the support line at that age, his upbringing would have been different. Line coordinator Gil Fishhof, a volunteer for 24 years, says they receive calls from teenagers and adults, religious, Jews and Arabs, in severe crisis situations, including suicidal themes.