Teachers are trained to manage classrooms, not catastrophes. Yet since October 7, they have carried both.
They've led lessons while fielding questions no adult can fully answer. They've comforted frightened children while worrying about their own families. They've rebuilt normalcy inside walls that no longer feel safe.
And for many, the cost has been invisible.
Mental Health First Aid Israel calls this crisis the compassion cliff — the point where those who care for everyone else begin to lose their footing.
MHFA Israel works to dismantle the myth of the unbreakable teacher by reframing vulnerability as leadership. When teachers admit fear, grief, or fatigue, they model authenticity and normalize help-seeking for students.
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