INSIDE ISRAEL: Where Trauma is Routine & Silence Suspicious

Dr. Carole's Couch

We hear a lot about Israel in the news every day - some stories are true, but most are lies perpetrated by Hamas. Today's guest, Chava Kleinman, tells us the real story. Since the horrors of October 7, 2023, Israel has not known peace—not even for a moment. But while headlines focus on geopolitics, airstrikes, and ceasefires, Chava Kleinman, Vice President of the Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund, sees the war through a different lens: that of children gripped by trauma, families living under the constant threat of rocket fire, and soldiers cycling in and out of battle with visible and invisible scars.

For Kleinman, this isn’t theoretical. It’s daily life. As someone who works hands-on with terror survivors—many of them young children—she can speak to the emotional cost that doesn’t show up in military briefings. “Since October 7, it’s been a different world,” she says. “Not just for those on the frontlines, but for every mother, every child, every teacher trying to keep a sense of normal.” Chava Kleinman, M.S.W., is a social worker with over 25 years of experience in Israel, now serving as vice-president of Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund (SICF). Chava is in charge of coordinating SICF’s vast array of crisis intervention initiatives. Especially since the October 7th massacre of Israeli civilians, but also during previous waves of terrorism, she has been on the front lines, offering critical expertise to support affected individuals and communities. is also an accomplished author, educator, and international presenter. For more information, www.israelchildren.org