Veterans served
1,500+
Enter therapy
80%
Years experience
10+
Movies made
300+
COLLABORATORS
TMUNA
Where stories begin to move us
At the heart of Nivra is TMUNA - a filmmaking workshop built on the proven methodology of the Patton Veterans Project (PVP), developed over more than a decade in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
In this three-day experience, participants collaborate in small groups to write, film, and edit short documentaries - guided by professional facilitators and mental health experts.
They come as creators, not patients.
- Film workshop
Participants join TMUNA film workshops not as patients, but as creators
TMUNA is a film workshop that, among many other things, returns some control over their narratives to the participants. In small groups, participants write, produce, edit, and share short personal films - guided by filmmakers and supported by mental health professionals. Film creates a unique combination of story, creativity, reflection, and human connection, allowing participants to engage without entering through the frame of diagnosis or treatment.
Every workshop is accompanied by mental health professionals who actively participate in the process and remain available throughout the workshop. To ensure this environment remains completely safe and supportive, participants always have someone they can turn to whenever needed. The workshops are professionally supported by NATAL and additional clinical partners, while the PVP methodology provides the workshop framework itself.
TMUNA is the entry point - more than 80% of participants in PVP's U.S. veteran programs chose to engage in therapy after completing the workshop. The model has also been piloted in both NYC and Israel with Israeli combat soldiers, reservists, former prisoners of war, intelligence officers, medics, and Nova festival survivors with great success.
For many, our film workshop marks the beginning of a deeper recovery journey; as many choose to engage in therapy afterward, the workshop is truly only the beginning. Nivra is designed not as a one-time intervention, but as a long-term community. Participants continue beyond the workshop through Nivra's growing community of creative, educational, and peer-led activities.
Choose therapy after the workshop - most for the first time
80%
Watch movies from our workshops
“Our experience with Israeli participants shows that this approach helps individuals process trauma and often opens the door to therapy for those who would not otherwise seek it.”
- Prof. Rivka Tuval-Mashiach, NATAL: Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center
Our goals
Operating from Ilanot - Beit Noam, Nivra is entering its next phase of growth. Building on the success of the initial workshops, we are creating the infrastructure, partnerships, and community needed to support participants long after the workshop ends.
Our goals for 2026-2027 include
Together, these efforts are designed to transform a proven workshop model into a lasting community of recovery, connection, and growth.
Why we did it
Nivra was founded by Jonathan Hepner, Dani Tenenbaum, and Michal Bar Haim.
Drawing on backgrounds in filmmaking, storytelling, communications, technology, entrepreneurship, and community building - and shaped by their own military service - the co-founders recognized a unique opportunity to use the power of creation to help address one of Israel's most pressing challenges.
Having facilitated PVP workshops in both Israel and the United States, they are now building Nivra as a long-term platform for story, connection, and post-traumatic growth.
Together with partners including PVP, NATAL, Bar-Ilan University, and Ilanot - Beit Noam, they are working to create new pathways into care and community.
Jonathan Hepner
Co-Founder
Co-Founder
Michal Bar Haim
Daniel Tenenbaum
Co-Founder
Join us
Nivra is building a new pathway into care - helping people move from isolation toward connection, story, community, and support.
Whether you're a participant looking for info, a clinician or an organization looking to collaborate - we'd love to hear from you!