We all know that the impact of the current war is being felt on virtually every front of Israeli society. There is economic fragility and food insecurity. There is violence against women and increasing numbers in the heartbreaking world of prostitution. There are widows by the hundreds, seriously wounded by the thousands. There are children carrying scars that we do not yet even know they bear.
Israel is a society in trauma, as many of our podcast guests have pointed out.
It should therefore come as no surprise that addiction is one of those areas in which one can see the impact of the present war.
Israel, like all modern western societies, has long had a drug and addiction problem—in that way, it’s not different from the West.
But the war is taking a toll that we can feel in this arena, too, and for today’s conversation, we turned to one of Israel’s leading experts on addiction, Professor Shaul Lev Ran, who in addition to many other accomplishments, is one of the founders of the Israel Center on Addiction.
Addiction, of course, is a tragic story, but Israel is also blessed to have some extraordinary people, like Professor Lev Ran, who have dedicated their lives to helping those struggling. In times like these, their devotion and success are sources of inspiration we desperately need.
We return to today’s podcast below.
With Purim at our door, Pesach cannot be not far around the bend. With that in mind, a quick note on our plans (subject to change, as the situation is fluid) for the next few days and then the coming weeks:
Later this week:
a few glimpses at how Purim is “playing” in Israeli society, and given the theme of Purim, a look at how the very question of survival continues to haunt Israel a year and a half after October 7th.
Next week, we hope to share three podcasts:
Sunday, March 16 (when Purim is still being marked in Jerusalem):
Rabbi Raphael Shore on his recent book, Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Jew: Learning to Love the Lessons of Jew-Hatred as well as his new film, Tragic Awakening.
Monday, March 17
Yonah Jeremy Bob, The Jerusalem Post's senior military correspondent and intelligence analyst, will explain what we’ve learned from two new major reports about the failures of October 7th— the IDF report as well as that of the Shin Bet Security Service.
Wednesday, March 19
Lianne Pollak David is a Founding Partner of the Coalition for Regional Security, and she explains what a group of leading and influential Israelis believe needs to happen with Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinians in the West Bank, Iran and Saudi Arabia. They envision a very different Middle East, and she explains.
Week of March 23
Professor Eugene Kandel is an Israeli economist, Professor (Emeritus) of Economics and Finance at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the chairman of the Board of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Formerly, he served as the CEO of the Start-Up Nation Central, and the Head of the National Economic Council and the Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister of Israel.
Professor Kandel believes that Israel cannot survive with its present system of government and economics, and he has proposed a radical reshaping of the very essence of the Jewish state. We will hear his thoughts in three conversations this week, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, March 24-26.
Passover
For most of Passover, we will not be posting, as many of our readers in the Diaspora will be off the grid during the time.
Professor Shaul Lev-Ran is a leading expert in addiction treatment and research in Israel. He is the co-founder and academic director of the Israel Center on Addiction and Mental Health (ICA), a Professor of Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University, and an Affiliate Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, Canada. His academic and clinical work focus on addiction medicine, mental health, and public health, with a strong emphasis on evidence-based, systemic solutions to addiction and its societal impact.
In the aftermath of October 7, 2023, Professor Lev-Ran and the ICA have played a pivotal role in addressing the mental health consequences of national trauma and the rise in problematic substance use. They have led efforts to train professionals, support educators and therapists, and develop protocols for the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions—protocols that have since been adopted by leading national organizations.
Through his research, publications, and media presence, Professor Lev-Ran is dedicated to reducing stigma, increasing public awareness of addiction, and promoting recovery-oriented policies that empower individuals and strengthen communities.
The link above will take you to a brief excerpt of our conversation; the full conversation, along with a transcript for those who prefer to read, is being made available to paid subscribers to Israel from the Inside.
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