As we enter 5786, we do so after two of the most challenging years in Israel’s history. Since the Oct. 7 massacre, our nation has endured war on multiple fronts. The losses have been staggering and the burdens heavy; the scars, both seen and unseen, are deep. Nevertheless, as we gather with our families during the High Holy Days, we are called to believe that the coming year can and must be a year of healing — of bodies, of minds and of the very fabric of our society.

Nowhere is this reality felt more profoundly than in Israel’s health system. Our hospitals, clinics, emergency responders and community health workers have stood at the heart of this national test. 

From the first moments of attack, Israel’s doctors and nurses rushed into action; and they have since treated tens of thousands of wounded soldiers and civilians, performing complex surgeries at all hours of the day and night. 

They have also absorbed the psychological toll of trauma, offering support to children jolted awake by sirens, parents fearing news of loved ones and communities devastated by loss. They have done all of this under immense pressure, with resources stretched thin but unwavering dedication in abundance.

In every corner of this country, Israel’s health system has become more than an infrastructure of care. It has been a shield of resilience and a symbol of our values. 

It is the place where every Israeli — Jewish, Arab, religious, secular, of all backgrounds — receives the same treatment, the same compassion and the same commitment to life. In a time when our enemies sought to divide us and weaken us, our health system reminded us that we are one people, united by the belief that every life is sacred.

The challenges have been immense. Hospitals have moved underground to absorb the enemy’s blows, emergency rooms have overflowed and rehabilitation centers are working around the clock. Departments once dedicated to peacetime care have had to fortify themselves for the pivot to wartime response. 

Beyond the physical injuries, the psychological toll has been unprecedented. Rates of trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression have soared to the point of a national pandemic. 

The truth is that even those who never set foot in a hospital have been scarred by these years. Healing, therefore, cannot only be about medicine. It must be about restoring the spirit of a nation.

This is the opportunity that stands before us now. Just as the past year was about survival, the year ahead must be about recovery. 

Healing will require a national effort, investment in hospitals and emergency services, expansion of trauma care, recruitment and training of the next generation of doctors, nurses, and mental health professionals. 

It will mean giving our health system the tools to meet today’s demands while preparing for tomorrow’s, and it will require us, as a society, to treat healing as a collective responsibility, not only the work of doctors but of communities, families, and leaders.

There is reason for hope, as across the country, new medical centers are being planned and expanded. 

Advances in oncology, neurology and emergency medicine are being integrated into daily practice. Innovations in trauma care are already being developed here in Israel that will serve as models for the world. Our health system is stretched, but it is also remarkably dynamic, creative and resilient. With proper support and investment, it can emerge from this period stronger than ever.

The High Holy Days are a season of renewal. Our tradition teaches that Rosh Hashanah is not only the beginning of the year but the anniversary of creation itself, the day when possibility was born.

This is the spirit we must carry with us now. The wounds of the past two years must not chain us to despair. Instead, they must inspire us to build a healthier, stronger and more compassionate nation. 

When I walk through our hospital, I see more than patients. I see futures waiting to be rebuilt, children who will laugh again, soldiers who will walk again, survivors who will reclaim their lives. In them I see the strength of our people: wounded, but unbroken; scarred, but never defeated.

The coming year will demand courage from our leaders, generosity from our friends and communities and resolve from each of us as individuals. 

However, if we embrace the mission of healing together — physically, emotionally, psychologically and societally — then 5786 will not be remembered only as another year of challenge. It will be remembered as the year when Israel turned a corner, when resilience gave way to recovery and when the health of a people became the foundation for the renewal of a nation.

May we be sealed in the Book of Life for a year of life, blessing and peace. May it be a year in which we heal, together.

Dr. Osnat Levtzion-Korach is the CEO of Shamir Medical Center in Be’er Yaakov, Israel, and chairs the Governmental Hospital Directors Forum.