by Hadassah Jacobs

There’s a phrase you hear often in Israel: “Ein lanu z’man lehitmootet” — “We don’t have time to fall apart.” It’s not said with bravado, but with a kind of spiritual practicality. The truth is, when your world is shaken by sirens, threats, and the ever-present possibility of war, you discover quickly that resilience is not a luxury — it’s a necessity.

But resilience isn’t just “bouncing back.” It’s not about pretending nothing happened, or waiting until life is perfect to start building again. It’s about learning to move forward through the chaos, not in spite of it, but because of it.

We don’t wait for the noise to stop before we get to work. We wake up after a night of rockets and step into Zoom meetings. We laugh, we pray, we work, we build. There is something deeply rooted in the Israeli psyche — perhaps born from centuries of exile, rebuilding, and return — that understands this one powerful truth: we do not give our trauma control over our actions. We process it, feel it, name it, and then we act through it. 

This, to me, is the core of resilience.

Resilience is a Skill, Not a Trait

Modern neuroscience backs this up. Resilience isn’t something you’re born with — it’s a set of learned responses. When we’re faced with trauma or threat, our brain’s fear center (the amygdala) kicks into overdrive. But resilient individuals train their brain to pause, to reframe, and to re-engage the prefrontal cortex — the part of the brain that helps us plan, make meaning, and take measured action.

That pause is everything.

The ability to say, “Yes, I’m afraid — but what can I still control?”
The shift from “Why is this happening to me?” to “What can I build through this?”

In Israel, this response is deeply socialized. We regulate each other — through humor, prayer, community, and a shared sense of spiritual purpose. After an air raid, you’ll often see neighbors checking in, offering coffee, sharing stories, and yes — cracking jokes. The laughter isn’t escapism. It’s a reset of the nervous system. It’s a refusal to be ruled by fear.

A Builder’s Mindset in Times of Threat

I believe this mindset is essential not just in wartime — but for anyone building something meaningful in an unpredictable world.

Founders, creators, nonprofit leaders, writers — we are constantly exposed to failure, uncertainty, criticism, and change. Resilience is the invisible scaffolding that holds your mission up when the winds shake.

The most powerful builders I know have one thing in common: they’ve made peace with pressure. They know how to reframe fear, stay focused on outcomes, and keep going even when circumstances aren’t ideal.

This isn’t denial. It’s direction. 

It’s the ability to wake up the morning after everything went wrong — and say, “What can I still build today?” 

Final Thought: Build Through It

If you’re in a season where the world feels overwhelming, I want to remind you of something essential:

You don’t need perfect peace to start building.
You just need enough clarity to take one step.

Resilience is not about suppressing your emotions. It’s about owning them — and then choosing your next move anyway. It’s about walking through the fire with purpose in your eyes.

This is the way we live in Israel. And this is what I offer to you now — not a motivational slogan, but a lived truth:

Build through war. Lead through uncertainty. Show up through fear.
Because resilience isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass.
It’s about learning to build in the rain.