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The Living Victims of October 7: The Mental Health Struggles of Massacre Survivors
The youth march calling for the return of the kidnapped in Gaza. Organized by the youth of Kfar Aza. December 27, 2023.
“I can’t call it my home right now,” Nira Shpak confessed to a captive audience in a Beverly Hills residence.
Nira — a lieutenant colonel in the Israeli reserves, with a 26-year military career and term in the Knesset under her belt — is rightfully nicknamed the Hero of Kfar Azza.
She was recalling the house that still stands in her kibbutz — the house where she raised her family and hosts her grandchildren. The house that she’s yet to return to. Nearly a year into the war, her community is dispersed throughout Israel, some residing in hotels and others making permanent decisions to relocate. Those decisions aren’t surprising. How do you go back to a place you thought you’d never get out of alive?
What hasn’t been nearly as reported is the slew of initiatives taking place to give communities like Kfar Azza the psychological tools to rebuild.
Nira, who took it upon herself to lead her community out of the trenches of October 7th, had left Israel twice during this war. First, to testify as a survivor at The Hague. Second, to push the UN to recognize the acts of sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas. Now, she found herself in Los Angeles, collaborating with an organization funded by fellow Israelis Liat Sade and Yifat Yeger to support her community’s psychological needs.
On October 7th, after Liat Sade, a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur, had gotten confirmation that her loved ones, including her three children, were safe, she and her husband became key connections for parents in the Diaspora trying to get their kids out of a war zone. Their resolve soon translated to raising funds for medical equipment and transporting it to the front lines, where IDF medics desperately needed it.
They were able to send roughly three million dollars in equipment in a matter of weeks. With this mission complete, Liat looked for other avenues for action.
As survivors started coming out to Los Angeles and sharing their stories, it became clear to Liat that people would not be able to rebuild unless they started from within.
Liat, who had been a lieutenant in the Israeli army and a Casualty Officer, was familiar with the lasting effects of PTSD. Liat had left the army after a helicopter crash in 1997 that killed 73 soldiers, including two of her closest friends. It took her years and becoming a mother to understand that she needed help processing this trauma. Fourteen years ago, she embarked on her first therapeutic journey, where she met Yifat Yeger, a psychotherapist specializing in trauma and resilience. Yifat had dedicated her life to melding psychological support with physical journeys meant to kickstart participants into their path of healing.
These kinds of programs are well known in Israel, a country that since its inception has had to grapple with severe trauma. Specifically crafted for women, the journey from 14 years ago worked for Liat, who still maintains close ties to the women she went with on her first journey. The model changed her life, inspiring her to become a permanent volunteer.
When Liat thought of how to help struggling kibbutzim communities most efficiently, she knew this was where she could have the most impact. “It’s not an obvious decision,” Liat admitted, “We must go with the method which we know has already proven itself.”
Just over a month into the war, Liat called Yifat, who had received several phone calls from survivors seeking psychological support. One of those calls had been from Nira, who wished to avoid speaking to a social worker at the hotel she was to stay at. Nira had a longstanding relationship with Yifat. She knew she could count on her to give her the necessary push to ask for help.
So, when Liat pitched the idea, Yifat was ready. “Let’s make it happen. Let’s save these communities.” That conversation would lead them to start Journey4Hope, a nonprofit organization designed to provide psychological support to Israel’s most recent survivors.
There are various mental health initiatives for October 7th survivors, from hospitals offering MDMA treatments to doctors traveling to Israel to perform electro-neurostimulation therapy. There has also been a wave of mental health professionals volunteering their time, and government programs. Nonetheless, Yifat worries that even if mental health professionals like herself work around the clock, there won’t be enough of them to help all those in need.
“We must use other innovation tools in order to do that. This tool is already proven on soldiers. Let’s fine-tune it and bring it to the communities.”
To understand the impact of these journeys, Yifat explains elements of trauma and how — based on her studies and those of others, like Gabor Maté — to arrive at proven antidotes. Trauma disrupts our daily routine; therefore, the days are structured and scheduled for you from the minute you wake up to the moment you rest your head, reminding you of consistency. To fight the feeling of helplessness trauma creates, we must also be reminded of our own competence, just like when Yifat realized she could overcome her fear of heights. The third element of trauma is feeling frozen in time or frozen in our emotions. To connect back to motion, it is essential that the participants reconnect with their bodies, whether it’s hiking in the desert or dancing together with the group, which brings us to the fourth element. These journeys are never taken alone. To combat the isolation of trauma, these journeys are taken in groups, which ultimately leads to lifelong friendships. Friendships that Nira and others have relied on in the aftermath of Israel’s darkest hour.
For all three women, community is the heart of their mission. Because of Nira’s connection to the journey model and Yifat and Liat, Kfar Azza will be the first community Journey4Hope supports through its work once it gathers sufficient funds, though they’ve already been able to assist b’nei mitzvot aged children of the kibbutzim communities of the Gaza envelope, who have not been able to mark their rite of passage.
The journey will tentatively help 25 to 30 women of Kfar Azza, including Nira. “The resilience of a community depends on the resilience of its women,” Yifat, with her years of expertise, proudly affirms. Though there is a sufficient amount of science to support this claim, one can’t help but think of Tzipporah and Miriam leading the Jewish people out of danger and into a space where they could begin to rebuild.
It will take years for the communities most impacted on October 7th to recover. The war after the war will be longer, and without psychological support. Nira fears her community will be running on empty. Activism has kept her, Liat, and Yifat going.
For Nira, it’s also a dream of perseverance and the hope that she can one day call her house her home again.
“We have to keep the light on in every place that evil forces want to destroy. I want to turn on the light in my home so that people in Gaza will see that I am here to stay.”
Jessica Ghitis is a Jewish-Colombian writer and educator based in Los Angeles, California. Having worked in entertainment for roughly nine years, Jessica has been pushing for fair coverage of Israel and October 7th in Latin American press. She currently works in education at the Museum of Tolerance, where she focuses on using storytelling to combat antisemitism and hate through dialogue and education. If you wish to learn more about this initiative, please visit https://journey4hope.com
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US Sanctions Six Firms in China, Hong Kong Over Iranian Drone Network
A bronze seal for the Department of the Treasury is shown at the U.S. Treasury building in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
The United States has sanctioned six entities in Hong Kong and China for allegedly participating in an Iranian drone procurement network, as the Trump administration advances its so-called “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran.
These latest sanctions follow the US Treasury Department’s announcement earlier this week of new restrictions on Iran’s oil industry, targeting over 30 brokers, tanker operators, and shipping companies involved in transporting and selling Iranian petroleum.
On Wednesday, Washington issued these new sanctions against entities accused of procuring unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) components for the Iranian firm Pishtazan Kavosh Gostar Boshra and its subsidiary, Narin Sepehr Mobin Isatis, both already blacklisted by the US, calling them key suppliers to Iran’s UAV and ballistic missile programs.
“Iran continues to try to find new ways to procure the key components it needs to bolster its UAV weapons program through new front companies and third-country suppliers,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
“The Treasury remains committed to disrupting the schemes that enable Iran to send its deadly weapons abroad to its terrorist proxies and other destabilizing actors.”
According to a Reuters report, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington, said Beijing and Tehran’s cooperation was “reasonable and legal.”
“China has always firmly opposed the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States and will firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises and citizens,” Pengyu said.
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump reinstated his “maximum pressure” policy toward Tehran, aiming to cut the country’s crude exports to zero and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
However, Trump also expressed a willingness to talk to Iran’s leaders, stating his desire to reach a “nuclear peace agreement” to improve bilateral relations, while insisting that the Iranian regime must not develop a nuclear weapon.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected the possibility of nuclear talks with Washington, stating that Tehran would “not negotiate under pressure, threat, or sanctions.”
“There will be no possibility of direct talks between us and the United States on the nuclear issue as long as the maximum pressure is applied in this way,” Araghchi said during a joint press conference with his visiting Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.
Iran’s so-called “supreme leader,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also rejected the idea of negotiating with Washington, calling such a move “unwise” and “dishonorable.”
This week, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reported that Iran has further accelerated its production of near weapons-grade uranium, according to a report by The Associated Press.
As of Feb. 8, Tehran’s stockpile of 60% enriched uranium reached 274.8 kilograms (605.8 pounds), an increase of 92.5 kilograms (203.9 pounds) since IAEA’s last report in November.
Iran has repeatedly claimed that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes rather than weapon development.
Last year, the UK, France, and Germany said in a statement that there is no “credible civilian justification” for Tehran’s recent nuclear activity, arguing it “gives Iran the capability to rapidly produce sufficient fissile material for multiple nuclear weapons.”
In their latest report, the IAEA estimated that Iran’s overall stockpile of enriched uranium stands at 8,294.4 kilograms (18,286 pounds), an increase of 1,690.0 kilograms (3,725.8 pounds). The report also noted that Iran continues to ban some of the agency’s most experienced inspectors from monitoring the country’s nuclear program.
Under the 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump withdrew from in 2018, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium only up to 3.67% purity and maintain a stockpile of no more than 300 kilograms.
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Contender in NYC Mayoral Race Has Extensive Anti-Israel Trackrecord
Ron Adar / SOPA Images via Reuters Connect
A major contender in the New York City (NYC) mayoral race has an extensive anti-Israel track record, raising concerns among the Big Apple’s Jewish population that the city’s staunch support of the Jewish State may be in jeopardy.
Zohran Mamdani, a representative within the New York State Assembly and candidate for New York City mayor, has made anti-Israel activism a cornerstone of his political career. Mamdani, a self-described progressive and socialist, has both advanced state legislation seeking to punish Israel and has labelled the Jewish state’s defensive military operations in Gaza a “genocide.”
According to a poll conducted by Honan Strategy Group from Feb. 22-23, Mamdani currently sits in second place in the NYC mayoral race, polling at 12 percent. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo holds a commanding lead at 38 percent.
In 2021, Mamdani issued public support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement—an initiative which seeks to economically and diplomatically isolate Israel in the first step to its eventual destruction. He claimed that support for the anti-Israel movement is growing within New York City, saying on X/Twitter that “The tide is turning. The fight for justice is here. The moment is now.” That same year, he also called for prohibiting New York lawmakers from visiting Israel, asserting that “every elected [official] must be pressured to stand with Palestinians.”
In May 2023, Mamdani advanced the “Not on our dime!: Ending New York Funding of Israeli Settler Violence Act,” legislation which would ban charities from using tax-deductible donations to aid organizations that work in the West Bank. Mamdani argued that the legislation would help the state fight against so-called Israeli “war crimes” against Palestinians. The socialist dismissed critics of the legislation, saying that his anti-Israel proposal is “in line with the sentiments of most New Yorkers.”
On Oct. 8, 2023, 24 hours following the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, Mamdani published a statement condemning “Netnayahu’s declaration of war” and suggesting that Israel would use the terror attacks to justify committing a second “Nakba.” Mamdani then said that Israel can only secure its long term safety by “ending the occupation and dismantling apartheid.”
Five days later, he further criticized Israel’s response to the Hamas-led massacres, saying that “we are brink of a genocide of Palestinians in Gaza right now”
In January 2024, he called on NYC to cease sending any funds to Israel, saying that “Voters oppose their tax dollars funding a genocide.”
The progressive firebrand is also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a far-left political organization with critical views of Israel. Though the DSA has long opposed Israel, the organization has ramped up its pro-Hamas rhetoric during the ongoing war in Gaza. On Oct. 7, the organization issued a statement saying that Hamas’ massacre was “a direct result of Israel’s apartheid regime.” The organization also encouraged its followers to attend an Oct. 8 “All Out for Palestine” event in Manhattan.
In January 2024, the DSA issued a statement calling for an “end to diplomatic and military support of Israel.” Then in April, the organization’s international committee, DSA IC, issued a missive defending Iran’s right to “self-defense” against Israel. In addition, the socialist group slammed former US Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) over his vote in favor of replenishing Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system.
The organization has also issued public support of Hamas, calling the terrorist group a “resistance” and “armed struggle” against Israel. In March 2024, the organization publicly repudiated progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), after the lawmaker condemned Hamas, arguing that Palestinians have a “right to defend against occupation.”
Mamdani’s political ascendence comes amid a spike in anti-Jewish hate crimes within New York City.
New York City has been ravaged by a surge in antisemitic incidents in the 16 months following Oct. 7. According to NYPD data, Jews accounted for a majority of all hate crimes in the city. Pro-Hamas activists have held raucous—and sometimes violent—protests on the city’s college campuses, oftentimes causing Jewish students to fear for their safety. NYC schools are also currently facing criticism for failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students from antisemitism.
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GOP Lawmakers Urge Trump to Recognize Israeli Sovereignty Over West Bank
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) Source: Reuters
A group of Republican lawmakers are urging US President Donald Trump to formally recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the West Bank, citing the territory’s historical ties and importance to the Jewish people.
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), one of the most strident pro-Israel voices in Congress, spearheaded a letter to Trump, calling on the president to endorse an Israeli annexation of the West Bank. Other signatories of the letter include Mary Miller (R-IL), Barry Moore (R-AL), Nick LaLota (R-NY), Randy Weber (R-TX), and Andy Harris (R-MD).
The coalition of pro-Israel Republicans—which are members of the Friends of Judea and Samaria Caucus—argue that the internationally recognized borders of the West Bank, “comprise the Judeo-Christian biblical heartland, where over 80 percent of the Torah and Old Testament took place.” Thus, the lawmakers claim that acknowledging Israel’s claim over the West Bank is central to reinforce America and Israel’s shared “Judeo-Christian heritage.”
The lawmakers argue that recognizing the West Bank as Israeli territory would help build upon his record of supporting the Jewish state. Letter pointed to Trump’s 2021 recognition of the City of David in Jerusalem as a “testament to America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and founding principles.” The lawmakers claim that the West Bank, which they refer to as Judea and Samaria, is similarly critical to Israel’s national identity.
They also said that they were in “strong opposition to the recognition of any hostile Arab state in Judea and Samaria that supports terrorism and fails to recognize Israel.”
Israeli leaders have also publicly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state within the West Bank, arguing that the territory would become a hotbed of terrorism and launching pad for direct attacks into the Jewish state’s population centers.
In the immediate aftermath of President Trump’s victory last November, several high-profile conservative lawmakers vowed to refer to the West Bank as Judea and Samaria, aligning themselves with the terminology preferred by Israel. To many observers, the shift in language signalled a shift in US policy closer to the Jewish state and in favor of further expansion of Jewish communities in the territory.However, Critics have argued that the change in language might inflame tensions in the Middle East, complicating the possibility of reaching a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Nonetheless, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK), introduced legislation in December ban the federal government from using the term “West Bank” instead of “Judea and Samaria,” arguing that the bill would “align US policy language with the geographical and cultural significance of the region.”
Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has also vowed to use the words Judea and Samaria in lieu of the West Bank.
“I can’t say something I don’t believe. As you well know, I’ve never been willing to use the term ‘West Bank.’ There is no such thing. I speak of Judea and Samaria,” Huckabee told Israeli media outlet Arutz Sheva in an interview. “I tell people there is no ‘occupation.’ It is a land that is ‘occupied’ by the people who have had a rightful deed to the place for 3,500 years, since the time of Abraham.”
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