Straus Scholar Adina Feldman (SCW ’26) reflects on a transformative summer researching resilience at Bar-Ilan University in Israel.
Exploring Trauma and Resilience: Psychology Research in Israel
By Adina Feldman
This summer, I had the privilege of joining two research projects in the psychology department at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, each centered on the theme of resilience. The first, under the guidance of Professor Illanit Hasson-Ohayon in her Psychology Rehabilitation Lab, examined dyadic coping in couples navigating cancer. My role involved conducting a literature review and transcribing qualitative interviews with couples who generously shared their stories. The study seeks to understand how one partner’s coping style shapes, and is shaped by, the other’s—a dynamic exchange at the heart of intimate relationships under strain. While there is a robust literature on relational coping in the context of illness, there seems to be a gap in more longitudinal studies, limiting our appreciation of the dynamic nature of resilience—how it tends to ebb and flow over time. Professor Hasson-Ohayon’s study hopes to address this gap, particularly in the context of relationships and support offered between people.
Alongside this, I had the opportunity to work in Professor Dan Choresh’s Trauma and Stress Research Lab, which is investigating the ripple effects of October 7th on those exposed to trauma secondhand. The study focuses on therapists who treat soldiers and journalists who report the news—individuals who may not have directly lived through traumatic events themselves, yet who spend their days bombarded by such accounts. My responsibilities included analyzing qualitative interviews with journalists and translators, identifying recurring themes in their narratives, and collaborating with fellow research assistants to reach consensus on how to distill these accounts into meaningful data. The project not only seeks to highlight the vulnerabilities of this population but also their unique sources of strength, given the unusual dual role they play as both private citizens and professionals, and how the unfolding consequences of October 7th and the ensuing Israel-Gaza war impact both identities.
Participants often described symptoms typical of post-trauma—intrusive thoughts, difficulty sleeping and a heightened sense of vigilance. Yet just as often, they spoke of feeling empowered by the very work that exposed them to such pain. They described their jobs as meaningful channels for their grief, allowing them to transform personal sorrow into service. This made them feel like a more empowered population compared to the average Israeli, who does not have as productive an outlet for their collective pain and tension. Again and again, they named social cohesion, unity and a profound sense of responsibility to their nation as sources of resilience—forces that reminded them of their place within something larger than themselves, and of strengths they had not previously known they possessed.
Participating in this work was both humbling and transformative. It was a privilege to listen to people’s raw and unfiltered accounts, to glimpse the hidden architecture of resilience, and to contribute even in small ways to research that seeks to give language to these experiences. I am deeply grateful to the professors, research teams and participants who entrusted me with this opportunity. More than sharpening my research skills, this summer impressed upon me that resilience is not merely an individual trait but a collective phenomenon, forged in relationship, responsibility and vulnerability. As I look ahead to a career in clinical psychology in Israel, God willing, these lessons will remain with me—guiding how I approach both research and practice.
To learn more about the Straus Scholars program, .
Sign up for the Straus Center newsletter to stay up to date on the latest Straus Center events, publications and news.
To learn more about the Straus Center, click here. And be sure to like the Straus Center on , follow us on and , and connect with us on .
