Who are you and what's your business?

My name is Eitan Engelberg. I’m originally from South Africa. I’m an entrepreneur and I study economics and data science at Reichman University. I run a startup called Shemesh Therapy. We connect South African psychologists internationally and specifically to Israel. We help English speakers get affordable and accessible therapy online with a therapist that suits them—at a very good price point of $59 per session, roughly 250 shekels. That’s about 40% cheaper than the Israeli market. We’ve provided more than 500 therapy sessions and we’re growing, making us one of the biggest providers for therapy in English here.

What inspired you to make Aliyah, and did you always know you wanted to start a business in Israel?

What inspired me was coming to Israel, to something new, something exciting. It’s a place full of Jewish people where I could craft my path and make a difference.

What was the lightbulb moment that led to the idea for your business?

The moment was being surrounded by people in the US paying ridiculous amounts of money for therapy—$200 to $300 per session. I looked into it and realized people couldn’t afford therapy. I thought that was a big gap that needed to be filled.

What were the biggest cultural or logistical challenges you faced as an Oleh starting a business in Israel?

For me it wasn’t so much cultural or logistical in a business sense, but personally—coming home after a long day, being by yourself, having to cook a meal, and not really having any infrastructure to help. That was a big challenge.

Did your background or previous experience help you, or did you have to reinvent yourself?

I didn’t have a background in the mental health industry. My background was in retail, and I had a business in the insurance space. The mental health industry was completely new to me.

How did you get your first customers or clients? Was there a moment when you realized, ‘This is really working’?

I was posting around on a bunch of group chats, and a friend actually said, “This is exactly what I’m looking for.” He tried us out and has been a successful customer ever since. The moment I realized this would actually work was when the first money came through. Not people saying it’s a good idea, but actually seeing people pay for the service—that’s when I knew.

How did Israel’s startup culture, bureaucracy, or community impact your journey?

Startup culture can be very deceiving and off-putting—companies always raising, always exiting. It can take you off track and mislead you into chasing things that seem rewarding but aren’t really. Bureaucracy has definitely been a challenge, especially trying to partner with organizations that loved what we were doing but couldn’t work with us because of red tape. On the other hand, community has been amazing. People always want to help, share, and give.

How is the business doing financially? What have been the biggest challenges?

We are profitable—though not nearly as much as we want to be—and we’re taking on more debt now, so soon we may not be. The biggest financial challenge was starting off with hires. I didn’t understand that training periods mean you don’t get a return immediately. That was tough financially when we hired our first people.

What’s one tough lesson you’d warn other Olim entrepreneurs about?

Distraction. Tel Aviv beach is very enticing, and all the startup events are full of food, VCs, and excitement. But it’s very distracting if you want to lock in and build the product. I believe if you build something good, it attracts the right people—you don’t need to constantly pitch it at events.

What role has the Olim community or networking culture played in your success?

The Olim community is super tight-knit, especially among younger crowds. Everyone knows each other. Reputation matters, not just in maintaining it but in being a good person—because that gets you introductions and recommendations. That’s been really helpful for me. Building a community around Shemesh has been a big part of our success.

What’s next for your business? What’s your long-term vision?

Next we’re building out a platform and going international. We’re slightly changing the model, but it’ll still be the top-quality service our clients love. Long term, we want to be in a few countries and become the go-to therapy platform for affordable, high-quality therapy in Israel and beyond.

What advice would you give to an Oleh/Olah thinking about starting a business here?

Work hard, take big risks, and just go for it. You learn along the way. If they can do it, you can do it too.

To learn more about Shemesh Therapy, please visit https://shemesh-therapy.com/