Commentary
ISRAEL – When Israelis speak about Oct. 7, they frequently say “there are no words.” But one word they consistently use is “shattered.”
Viewpoints
Opinion
A Nation Shattered by Oct. 7 Attacks
There is no word in the psychological lexicon for what happened on Oct 7 or the new world in which Israelis now live. But “shattered” comes closer than “trauma”
A soldier mourns near a photo of a deceased relative at the Nova music festival site on January 5, 2024 in Re'im, Israel. Approximately 40 hostages were taken from the Nova music festival site during Hamas's Oct. 7 attack, alongside the 364 who were killed, according to Israeli authorities. Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images
Pamela Paresky
Author
A social psychologist with a clinical background, Dr. Paresky serves as senior advisor to the Open Therapy Institute and advisor to the Mindful Education Lab at New York University. In addition to The Jewish Journal, her work appears in Psychology Today, The Guardian, Politico, Sapir, The New York Times, and elsewhere. She has taught at Johns Hopkins, the University of Chicago, and the United States Air Force Academy, and writes the Habits of a Free Mind newsletter. Follow her on Twitter at @PamelaParesky