The distance between a quiet street in America and a bomb shelter in Israel feels small. Since the escalation of Operation Lion’s Roar, the global community has been living in what Dr. Boaz Shalgi, NATAL’s Chief Psychologist describes as “rolling trauma.” This is continuous, cumulative exposure to traumatic events, which differs from traditional post-traumatic stress disorder caused by a singular event. Whether one is running to a safe room in Tel Aviv or checking a phone with a heavy heart in New York or London, the stress and anxiety are shared.

The questions being asked by Jews in Israel and around the world include: How do we deal with the fear for our loved ones? How do we handle the burnout? And how do we keep going when the “routine” is just another emergency?

The Ground Reality: Beyond the Headlines

Since Operation Lion’s Roar intensified, NATAL’s response has been immediate. The organization’s helpline calls have doubled, reaching not just those in the South, but populations in Tel Aviv and the North who are facing direct ballistic threats. There is a strength that lies in an ability to pivot from routine to emergency quickly, deploying “boots on the ground” to hotels in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Modi’in where thousands of evacuees are housed.

Natalia Peretz, a NATAL Facilitator and Supervisor for the........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)