Rabbi Yonatan Dorfman speaks with Rabbi Leo Dee about catastrophic loss, trauma recovery, community support, faith, family resilience, antisemitism, Israeli unity, and the future of the Jewish people. Rabbi Leo shares the story of losing his wife, Lucy, and two daughters in a terror attack while traveling in Israel for Passover. He explains how numbness, community support, structured routines, spiritual reflection, and purposeful action helped him and his children begin rebuilding their lives. The conversation also explores Rabbi Leo’s book, The Seven Facets of Healing, the importance of confronting triggers, the relationship between pain and personal growth, and the debates surrounding antisemitism, Haredi military service, Torah study, and national responsibility. Timestamps: 00:00 — Opening hook: why hardship can become a path to greatness 01:55 — The terror attack on Passover and the family’s route through the Jordan Valley 03:05 — First reaction: numbness, silence, and adrenaline 04:01 — Burial, festival mourning, and the impossible rhythm of grief 05:46 — How joy and sadness can exist together 07:19 — Therapy, trauma, and why existing frameworks had no answer 08:10 — How the shiva became a model of community care 09:39 — Recurring visits instead of vague offers of support 11:10 — The power of simply showing up 12:30 — How teachers, friends, and school leaders supported the children 13:24 — New work and new routines as part of recovery 14:32 — Triggers, routines, and why everything initially felt painful 16:27 — Rewriting the life narrative without erasing grief18:20 — Bad instincts after trauma and choosing the opposite response 20:27 — Smiling as a practice rather than a result 21:50 — Returning to prayer, Daf Yomi, walking, and structured life 23:12 — How parental healing affects children’s healing 24:53 — Memorializing loved ones without freezing life 26:08 — Family trips, holidays, and protecting family time 27:05 — Can happiness and sadness coexist? 28:23 — Why anger may be the forbidden emotion 29:23 — Hugs at shiva, old conflicts, and releasing anger 31:13 — Reframing God as presence rather than a distant figure 33:00 — Why “what if” thinking can feed grief and anger 35:29 — Living according to what the deceased would want 38:18 — Repentance as a mental decision before it becomes an action 41:06 — Pain as a blessing and what triggers can reveal 42:02 — Recognizing loneliness as the deeper wound 44:11 — Why feeling pain more deeply helped the healing process 44:59 — Helping others, public speaking, and writing as healing 46:45 — Antisemitism, propaganda, and the social war 48:00 — Antisemitism as a distraction from purpose 50:25 — The difference between committed haters and people who are misled 51:31 — Israeli youth, service, and national responsibility 53:46 — America, Iran, and the stakes of international alignment 56:58 — Building instead of constantly reacting 58:57 — Israel as a model for values, education, and defense 61:16 — Whether people can be deprogrammed from hate 62:45 — Cutting off terror funding as a strategy 65:24 — Unity in Israel before and after October 7th 67:22 — The Haredi army-service debate and the need for mutual respect 69:58 — Torah scholars, pikuach nefesh, and military service 74:19 — Money, bias, and leadership incentives 77:20 — Why this may be a redemptive moment in Jewish history 78:06 — Jewish demographics in Israel and the historical implications Say thank you :) : https://buymeacoffee.com/itvogpod #RabbiLeoDee #RabbiYonatanDorfman #TraumaHealing #HealingAfterLoss #GriefAndHealing #FaithAndResilience #JewishThought #JewishUnity #Israel #IsraelHistory #October7 #Antisemitism #JewishIdentity #MentalHealthAndHealing #CommunitySupport #FamilyResilience #SpiritualGrowth #TheSevenFacetsOfHealing #PikuachNefesh #TorahAndLife #podcast #ITVOG #hamas #hamasattack #healing #trauma #torah #judaism #family
