The Meaning of Life for Israelis Living Along the Gaza Border: Before and After October 7 2023 (Second Edition 2025)

By: Julia Chaitin and Sharon Steinberg and Elad Avlagon and Shoshana Steinberg

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Synopsis: This book explores the meaning of life for Israelis living along the Gaza border before and after October 7th. It brings together residents&’ personal stories and photographs, alongside their creative social media posts. This second edition builds on a groundbreaking longitudinal study conducted between 2018 and 2021, which examined how people made sense of their lives after two decades of ongoing conflict. Now expanded with new research carried out in the wake of the Hamas terror attack on October 7th, it offers a powerful comparison of how life in this region has been experienced and understood across two defining periods. Drawing on theories from social psychology and peacebuilding, the book weaves together a compelling narrative and visual portrait of Jewish-Israeli men and women living near the border. It also explores how their perceptions and emotions have shifted over time—regarding patriotism and Zionism, their Gazan neighbors, and their hopes and fears for the future at personal, family, community, regional, and national levels.