Gratitude fills my heart as I reflect on the incredible people in my life – friends, family, and community. Your support has carried me through so many moments, and I’m reminded that we all need our village. These are the people who show up with kindness, who see the next steps for us when we […]
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How do you deal with the trauma of the deadliest day Jews have experienced since the Holocaust? This was the question Israeli trauma experts faced in the wake of Oct. 7, 2023, when over 1,200 Israelis were killed and some 250 taken captive in Hamas’s attack on Israel. The massive attack by terrorists immediately was […]
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Mushrooms help make a great salad or omelet but, amazingly, they may also improve mental health – from depression to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to schizophrenia – according to a new study conducted at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center. The research, led by doctoral student Orr Shahar and Dr. Alexander Botvinnik, under the guidance of […]
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Soldiers returning from the front often find it difficult to readjust to normal life. Following past wars, they just had to grit their teeth and ignore their traumas, sometimes at an incalculable psychological cost. But now there are treatment options, such as the ancient Eastern mind-body discipline known as yoga. “After October 7, we immediately […]
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“October 7 destroyed more than my home. It devastated my sense of well-being.” These words, spoken by a Kibbutz Kfar Aza survivor, have been echoing throughout the country since that Black Sabbath. They are indicative of one of the greatest challenges Israelis have ever faced – and will continue to confront for years to come. […]
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WIZO has revealed new “Emotional Resilience” programs across its educational institutions, which offer a psycho-educational system to strengthen personal resilience, acquire psychological coping skills, and create deep connections with others. WIZO is an Israeli women zionist organization that is dedicated to the advancement of the status of women, welfare for all sectors of Israeli society, […]
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There is a sacred covenant between us Israelis and our government and the army. We work, pay taxes, obey the law, do military service, and are good citizens. In turn, the government and the army provide services and protect us from harm. On October 7, that covenant was violated – smashed to pieces. Women, children, […]
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The largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust stunned us all, in Israel and the Diaspora, and more than four months later, the war against Hamas – Operation Swords of Iron – is still raging. While Jews in the Diaspora shudder over the surge of antisemitism following October 7, many Israelis talk about a nation […]
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More than half of Israelis suffering from psychological problems after the October 7 massacre say they don’t have the financial means for mental health care, and more than a quarter reported that they don’t receive psychological assistance due to a lack of therapists where they live. The University of Haifa and the Shalvata Mental Health […]
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The IDF’s mental health system has had to quickly adapt to a new reality following October 7. Their ability to learn on the job and adjust their approach based on field insights and needs allowed them to provide relevant tools and high-quality treatment to military personnel. Lt.-Col. Dr. Lucian Tatsa-Laur, the chief psychiatrist of the […]
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