How do soldiers find the resilience to enter war and how can society support them when they return or their families when they do not? Host Gil Troy and IDF Bereavement Officer & Clinical Advisor Akiva Harrow discuss how the Israeli Defense Forces supports families who have lost loved ones in service and how October 7th changed the debriefing process for combat soldiers who have returned from the warfront. 

This episode explores questions of individual and collective meaning, resilience, bereavement, and psychological health during wars, pasts and present.

(0:00) Opening

(0:24) Introduction

(9:32) Interview with Akiva Harrow

(31:44) Summary

To read the texts and learn more about the manuscripts discussed in this episode, visit:

Letter From Sgt. First Class Ben Zussman To His Parents, On His Way To War, In The Event Of His Death Published December 11, 2023

US Civil War Soldier Describes The Chaos Of War During The Bermuda Hundred Campaign June 2, 1864

Check out Akiva Harrow’s 5 favorite books:

1. Man in Search of Meaning by Viktor Frankel.

2. Growth Mindset by Carol Dweck

3. ⁠The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt

4. ⁠Homo Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harrari.

5. ⁠Benjamin Franklin autobiography

Stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and by signing up for our newsletter at shapell.org/contact. For more information about this podcast, visit The Human Side of History.

Production by docyourstory 

Music by Adam Weingrod

The show is produced by The Shapell Manuscript Foundation. To learn more about the foundation and discover the manuscript collection visit: www.shapell.org