The mental health trauma experienced by people with relatives and friends in war zones is known, documented, and mysterious. This is true for all people in the region: Jewish and Muslim, Arab and Israeli, Druze and Christian. This is true for all wars. The emotional burden of having loved ones, close friends, and colleagues in Israel living the nightmare first-hand is an undesired outcome of these devastating and horrific days.

But for the Jewish community as a whole – with diverse perspectives around culture and faith – there are unique hot buttons that are tipping points for mental health volcanic eruptions, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and, for those like me with family who were murdered or survived the Holocaust or pogroms, a profound sense of helplessness. Watching events unfold in real time before our eyes on social media and the news – while the world watches, too – calls to mind the unspeakable terror and fear of generations, which, for many of us, was safely filed away as “history,” yet is happening again, today, right now.

The uncertainty and constant worry of having relatives and friends in Israel now may lead to acute and chronic anxiety. The relentless concern about their safety can consume thoughts, interfere with daily functioning, and cause physical symptoms. The obsessive need to check social media feeds – with videos from civilians only moments before the Hamas attacks playing with their children during the long Jewish holiday weekend or dancing at the desert Nova Festival Peace Festival – are now remembered in final digital images that will terrorize their families, survivors and viewers for decades.  

Jewish schools across the United States and worldwide have warned parents to disable their children’s social media accounts, if possible, to shield them from anticipated videos of hostages being tortured or murdered. It is difficult for anyone to find a respite from social media with its everlasting digital footprint that draws us back to relive these horrors. WebMD’s Chief Medical Officer John Whyte, MD, has gone on television to counsel all parents on protecting their children from the flood of online terror.

History Creates Communal PTSD

How can anyone with a heart not be depressed?  For Jews, the helplessness is compounded by our history of generations of helpless slaughter and the inability to protect or support family members.  We are a people that, before 1948, had no place to run, no haven, and no possibility of a protective force to rescue us anywhere in the world. 

Many of us who trace our family history using genealogy sites such as My Heritage or Ancestory.com find our relatives were shot, gassed or burnt to ash during the Nazi-led Holocaust.  Many of us whose grandparents or great-grandparents came to America to escape pogroms in Lithuania, Poland, and Russia. Many families were forced from their homes in Spain, Morocco, Yemen, Iran, and Iraq.  We now see those same images of our people fleeing in real-time. It is both infuriating and terrifying. My apartment building’s available space in Israel is now used to house families evacuated from the Southern border.  We live in a “back to the future” daze.

As an American Israeli who served as a paratrooper in the 1982 Lebanon War with homes in the States and Israel, the trauma experienced during the past days sparks well-suppressed PTSD. Witnessing graphic images of violence, hearing about near-death experiences, and constantly fearing for the safety of loved ones triggers flashbacks and numbness. It’s natural to become hypersensitive by continually thinking, “What would I do?” and feeling incredibly frustrated that we cannot respond to the call to protect and defend. I imagine being called upon to defend my home.  But that time has passed.  I sit, watch and wait like everyone else.

One of the most challenging aspects of this trauma is the lack of control. Helplessness can be overwhelming. It can lead to a deep sense of guilt. We want to do more than raise our voices or donate to charities for medical and emotional care – including sending “care packages” to Israeli Defense Force soldiers rallying in response to the massive attack against the civilians.

Half-Hearted Support Adds to the Pain

Right now, friends, family, and colleagues can play a significant role in helping the Jewish community cope. People ask: “How are you?”  It’s appreciated. Others say: “I’m here. I see you. I care about you.” These simple words often mean more than I can express. But in truth, our emotions are all over the place – from the news and absorbing the shock of events, from mourning the dead, from the collective trauma, from fear of the future and a repeated cycle of violence.

The vast majority take no joy in seeing the Palestinian people suffer.  Revenge is not a Jewish instinctive response to violence.  We are a people of hope and ideas – not anger.  Even Israel’s national anthem is titled:  “HaTikvah – The Hope.”

We do, however, feel the acute pain of silence and “whataboutism” – or worse, activists who claim to pursue justice and equality refusing to condemn acts of terrorism, full stop. Like a half-hearted apology, political leaders hedge their bets by acknowledging the terror Israel and Jews have experienced while criticizing the response.  From members of Congress like AOC trying to cover all bases and constituents to professional organizations – even the American Psychology Association – the need to ensure no one is offended can be offensive. Sometimes, the truth isn’t in the middle. And two truths can be held at once. People in pain need to feel distinctly heard. That’s basic communication smarts.

As close followers of the region’s history, the Jewish people have seen Hamas digging up and destroying their people’s water supply system to use the pipes as containers for the thousands of rockets fired into Israel’s cities.  We read how billions of United Nations and Saudi contributions to the people of Gaza didn’t go to build medical centers but toward tunnels.  We feel dismissed by these comments from the Progressive wing we have long supported.  Their ill-timed response adds to our collective pain.

One of the most challenging aspects of this trauma is the lack of control. Helplessness can be overwhelming. It can lead to a deep sense of guilt. We want to do more than raise our voices or donate to charities for medical and emotional care – including sending “care packages” to Israeli Defense Force soldiers rallying in response to the massive attack against the civilians.

What Can You or We Do

What can we do to help ourselves?  Use proven self-care methods, such as meditation, exercise, prayer and maintaining a strong social support network to navigate expected emotional turbulence. Awareness of the signs of distress and seeking timely intervention is key to preventing a natural reaction from becoming chronic. Remember, as the Book of Isaiah states, we are a people, made to be “A light unto the nations.” Continue to contribute and create.

Right now, we are at war with a brutal terrorist regime – one that stands opposed to not only Jews but Americans, Western nations, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and the list goes on. People like to avoid confrontation.  But a response is essential when the Hamas action is so horrific and unbelievable.  We are not victims.  Our history of sadness does not leave us stranded in the past.  We must illuminate hope.

We are in pain collectively.  As I was raised in a home marked and influenced by death – from pogroms, the Holocaust, and wars- I still look to the “mountain from where my help comes,” a generational belief in faith.  But, as a former IDF soldier, I know that sometimes the message of brute force can lead to a next step – peace.  People like to avoid confrontation.  But a response is essential when the Hamas action is so horrific and unbelievable.  We will not be victims.  Our history of sadness has never left us stranded in the past.  It illuminates the hope.

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Viktor Frankl, a renowned psychiatrist, Holocaust survivor and author, draws from experiences in Nazi concentration camps to develop a profound understanding of the importance of hope called logotherapy. This psychotherapeutic approach describes the search for a life’s meaning as the central human motivational force. Frankel observed that people in Nazi extermination camps who found a shred of hope, even in the bleakest circumstances, were more likely to endure and survive.

Frankl later wrote in his book Man’s Search for Meaning that “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

News reports of the Hamas attacks on Israel cover the unconscionable devastation of Israeli villages along the Southern border. An inhumane action directly almost entirely toward civilians, documented and shared on social media by terrorists not “caught in the act” but proudly sharing visuals online of their murder spree.  The media focuses primarily on geopolitical chaos and military response.  The human stories center around families searching for information about loved ones missing or the more than 100 civilians taken hostage to hostile territory – their destiny unknown.

The Biblical reading for Simchat Torah, the holiday marking the annual cycle of the conclusion of Torah readings, with which Hamas timed its well-coordinated attack, ends with a prophetic call from the Book of Joshua:  “Only be strong and resolute!”

The bigger story is to explore Israeli’s unwavering resilience in the face of so much horror.  Israel is built on “hope,” nurtured by hope, and resilient because hope is embedded in the people’s mental health psyche. Once the anguish and outrage are expressed, its citizens will turn to what they do best – rebuilding.  What of their neighbors? Will this successful blood-letting act be a catalyst for nation-building inspiration?

The Psychological Benefits of Hope

Psychologists have long recognized the vital role hope plays in people’s resilience. American psychologist Professor Charles Snyder defined hope as “a positive motivational state that is based on an interactively derived sense of successful agency (goal-directed energy) and pathways (planning to meet goals).” Snyder’s definition highlights the two critical components of hope: agency and pathways.

Agency is the belief that someone can initiate actions and make a difference. In desperate situations, this belief can be a lifeline. It fuels determination and empowers individuals to take control of their situation, no matter how hopeless and disappointing.

Pathways represent strategies and plans that can be developed to achieve those goals. Hope provides the internal flame framework for problem-solving and finding a way out of dire situations. Researchers emphasize that hope is intricately linked to a person’s problem-solving abilities, making it an essential psychological – even people-building – resource.

When Hate Defines Purpose

Hope is not just an abstract concept; it can be nurtured and cultivated. This is one of Israel’s and its people’s most significant resources – not oil, diamonds, or other precious natural resources.  Hope is a national treasure that can be mined and replenished. It is the micro-processor of the “Start-Up Nation” credited with countless innovations that are used in medicine, technology and auto GPS systems.

Right now, Israel must secure its borders and prevent nearby nations from taking advantage of the current instability.  That “hopefully” is in its neighbors – Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and even Saudi Arabia’s – best geopolitical interests.  Then, it must address painful steps to determine how low-tech terrorist planning overwhelmed the hi-tech intelligence system of one of the world’s greatest innovation engines. But those steps will not deter the nation’s simultaneous focus on healing and hope.

This national soul-searching is another painful chapter in the bigger saga – how will this mega terrorist war-level attack change its approach to the relationship with the Palestinians and influence Palestinian’s strategy to build a nation not based on hate?  Historically, Hamas celebratory events have not been rooted in establishing statehood-level institutions in Gaza that support culture, education, finance, health, and infrastructure. 

No one can account for the billions in regional and global aid directed to Hamas for infrastructure and refugee support. Where has it been spent? For tunnels or teachers?  For medical supplies or missiles?  Just the aid provided by Saudi Arabia alone to the Palestinian people during the last 17 years exceeded $6 billion. That does not include other United Nations members and institutions. But where is the ROI for these billions, and how does that massive investment kindle hope on the part of the Palestinian people when the fruits of the spending are invisible to the people?

As we’ve seen in the media during the past few days, Hamas invested mightily in this attack against Israel. An attack that is certain to be answered with a military response further setting back Palestinian citizens trapped in this hostile maze.  Finding hope through the possibilities of peace is almost impossible when encouraged public expression for success is in killing “the other.”

Hope is a Catalyst

Hope empowers individuals and acts as a catalyst for positive societal change. When people collectively hold onto hope for a better future, they mobilize their efforts to bring about that change: the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had “a dream” driven by the hope for racial equality and justice. This hope – still burning in a nation’s heart – galvanizes millions of people to take action and continues to lead urgent changes.

The global response to climate change is fueled by hope for a sustainable and healthy planet. Swedish environmental and climate activist Greta Thunberg embodies the transformative power of hope. Her unwavering belief that change is possible has inspired millions of young people worldwide to demand action from their governments and advocate for a greener future. Her hope drives her to eyeball global leaders and demand urgent action. 

Thunberg scolded the world’s leaders in her speech at the 2019 United Nations Climate Action Summit by exclaiming, “How dare you” about their perceived indifference and inaction to the climate crisis. Her actions are a catalyst for young people worldwide to step forward and work toward a sustainable planet.

Israel and Palestine – Hope and Hate

What has happened during the past few days in Israel – brutal attacks against women, children, and aged citizens- is horrifying.  The visuals – well documented by the terrorists themselves and proudly shared – reinforce the energy that drives Hamas – a thirst for Jewish blood that seems impossible to quench.  

But what of the Palestinian people?  Is that their destiny? Their national desire? To endure endless retaliations that rekindle hate?  To change their future, they must find – or demand – capable, trustworthy leaders who inspire nation-building hope and abandon hatred as a preferred political path!  As Professor Snyder suggested, they must have people at the helm who offer agency and a pathway – a goal–oriented agency matched by plans to achieve that goal. 

And of Israel? For the rest of their lives, like countless generations, the memories of loved ones slaughtered helplessly will haunt family, friends, and the nation.  But that tormented energy and “how and why” questions will elevate the country toward agency and a pathway, as Snyder suggested:  “Now what and to where?”

Golda Meir, the Israeli Prime Minister, who shepherded a wounded nation through the surprise Yom Kippur War – another incredibly devastating, unexpected war that started 50 years almost to the day of this October 2023 Hamas attack – offered insight paralleling Professor Snyder’s insight. “Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.”  Hate is a disease that must be overcome emotionally.

For all its generational waves of suffering, the Jewish people and the nation of Israel continue to draw upon the endless resource that will guide its collective next steps – faith and purpose standing on a foundation of enduring hope. That is the inspiring story of a people – as the Biblical Prophet Isaiah proclaimed, as “A light unto the nations” – with renewable positive energy to sustain itself and contribute to the world.

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