ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Updated:

Adv. Michal Herzog, Israel’s first lady, speaking at The Jerusalem Post's online conference A Nation in Trauma said that people need to be aware of the trauma others may be suffering and reach out to assist.

“Now that we understand that mental health and dealing with trauma are so important; and that is going to be the biggest issue in Israeli society, everyone should be aware of it,” she said.

“I think the most important thing is to care and to look around and see if you feel that someone in your vicinity shows signs of trauma or shows signs of distancing. It is very simple to reach out to people. Just ask a few questions. Just reach out. Show that you care. It will really change lives.”

Herzog has devoted a great deal of her work as first lady to promoting and discussing issues surrounding mental health since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“I looked at teenagers whose social distancing really hurt them; I said to myself, ‘We need to talk about mental health.’
“I don’t come from that field, but it felt like a natural choice for me,” she said.

ISRAEL’S ‘FIRST LADY’ Michal Herzog. She accompanies her husband on duties most of the time unless busy with engagements of her own, such as hosting groups of female soldiers, medical conferences, or groups of female diplomats.
ISRAEL’S ‘FIRST LADY’ Michal Herzog. She accompanies her husband on duties most of the time unless busy with engagements of her own, such as hosting groups of female soldiers, medical conferences, or groups of female diplomats. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)

“I thought that we should break stigmas and ask people to ask for help when they need help. We’re not shy to go to a doctor when our leg hurts, but we’re shy when it’s our soul. I wanted people to speak out about it and not to be shy about asking for help,” Herzog added.

Many Israelis have experienced trauma over the past two years, she said, mentioning the wide variety of tools that are now being used to treat victims of trauma, including sports, art, animal therapy, music, and even AI.\

Efforts to reach out to grieving families 

Herzog described the efforts of staff at the President’s Residence to reach out to the families of soldiers and civilians who have been killed during the war. “When a soldier or a civilian is killed, their families receive a personal letter from the president that is delivered by someone who works directly with the president.”

She concluded that “The best thing we can do as a society is to understand each other. We don’t have to agree about everything but show understanding and empathy and sympathy to each other. That’s the most important thing.”