In this episode of Hadassah On Call: New Frontiers in Medicine, we sit down with Dr. Shiri Ben-David, chief psychologist at the Hadassah Medical Organization, to explore how trauma has gripped Israeli society since October 7, 2023 — and what it means to heal.
“We’ve been through a major trauma,” Dr. Ben-David says. “But trauma means something very specific. It’s an event that threatens someone’s life or body — either directly or through a loved one.”
She explains how trauma manifests not just in the mind but across emotional, cognitive and even physical systems.
From the Nova Music Festival survivor wracked by guilt to soldiers returning from battle with unseen wounds, Dr. Ben-David paints a powerful picture of what PTSD looks like today — and how therapists are working to help people cope. She speaks candidly about the challenge of treating trauma while experiencing it herself: “I remember talking to a soldier just injured in Gaza… while my husband was fighting in the exact same neighborhood.”
We also dig into practical tools for resilience: What are the early signs of PTSD? What does “post-traumatic growth” look like? And how can communities — both in Israel and abroad — help create a culture of strength and support?
“I think my most important message is that most people are resilient,” she shares. “We need to put much effort into giving people a sense of being strong and capable of dealing with everything that is going on.”
Further learning:
Read stories and watch our previous episodes dealing with PTSD
- You, Me & PTSD
- The Invisible Wound: Living With PTSD
- The Media Line: Hadassah Helping Israelis Heal From PTSD
- Hadassah Medical Organization Grapples With Hundreds of Wounded and a Country With PTSD
- Hadassah Doctor Shares His Expertise in PTSD with Mexican Colleagues
"Hadassah On Call: New Frontiers in Medicine" is a production of Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America. Hadassah enhances the health of people around the world through medical education, care and research innovations at the Hadassah Medical Organization. For more information on the latest advances in medicine, please head over to hadassah.org.
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The show is hosted by Maayan Hoffman and produced by the team at the Hadassah offices in New York and Israel.
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Our recent episode with Prof. Aron Popovtzer and Dr. Rony Shreberk-Hassidim
If you are enjoying this episode, you’ll want to check out our previous episode with Prof. Aron Popovtzer, director of the Sharett Oncology Institute and Dr. Rony Shreberk-Hassidim, a senior physician in the Department of Dermatology at the Hadassah Medical Organization. They discuss the future potential of AI in medicine and the medical breakthroughs at Hadassah that are changing the face of cancer detection and treatment in Israel — and beyond.
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18 American Zionist Women You Should Know!
Have you checked out our website lately? We recently launched Hadassah's 18 American Zionist Women You Should Know! This year’s list features a diverse group of visionaries who are doing critical work to educate about and advocate for Zionism in the US and around the world.
You’ll read about a Muslim women’s rights activist, an Emmy Award–winning actress, and an Ethiopian Jew (IDF paratrooper turned New York politician) — and that’s just three of the inspiring women on this year’s list. As a proud Zionist organization — and the largest Jewish women’s organization in the United States — we couldn’t think of a more fitting way to celebrate more than 100 years of fostering and promoting Zionist ideals. Check out this year's #Hadassah18 on our website at https://www.hadassah.org/18women.
