When the evacuations began, many of Israel's elderly didn't pack much — a few photographs, a prayer book, medicine, maybe a favorite shawl. They had already lived through wars and relocations; they thought they knew how to start again.
But this time was different.
After October 7, thousands of seniors from the Gaza Envelope and northern border communities were uprooted from homes they'd lived in for decades. They were transported to hotels or temporary shelters — safe, yes, but unfamiliar.
Mental Health First Aid Israel calls this challenge the long walk home — the slow, complex process of helping older adults rediscover dignity, connection, and hope after displacement.
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