הרחבת מנעד ההתערבויות בשכול עקב אירועי "השבת השחורה" ומלחמת "חרבות ברזל": לקראת תפיסה אקולוגית – מאמר דעה

In this opinion article we review Israel’s intervention policy and variety of services provided to bereaved families and advocate for their expansion,especially in light of the October 7th (“Black Sabbath”) events and the consequent “Iron Swords” war.A review of the theoretical literature and the existing laws for the treatment of bereaved families reveals that the common conception for understandingloss and caring for the bereaved is an individualized one and rests on the premise that each individual responds differently to loss and grief; the model of “enduring connections” between the bereaved and the other(s) is thus seen as a personal process. Accordingly, the review shows that most of the interventions provided to bereaved families in Israel are individual, whereasgroup interventions – that were customary in the past – gradually decreased.On the other hand, a review of global literature suggests a range ofpossibilities that include both family and community resources.As such, we suggest that there is room to expand the range of interventionsthat are provided in Israel and to develop these interventions on a broadecological basis, taking into consideration the individual, the family, the community, and society. This perspective will allow bereaved individuals and aid workers to select, adapt, and combine a pool of individual, family, group and community services. Ecological considerations are especially important when dealing with numerous and collective events of bereavement and loss such as those that Israeli society is facing these days.