Social Entrepreneurship as a Healing Force
Since October 7, Israeli society has been dealing with a deep trauma, the signs of which we will continue to feel for a long time. But alongside the pain and loss, new initiatives have begun to emerge that seek to offer repair, healing, and rebuilding. From the understanding that a personal and national crisis can also become an opportunity for growth, the “Growth” acceleration program was born – a groundbreaking initiative of Hackaveret – the Center for Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation, founded by the Joint and the National Insurance Funds, in collaboration with Gal Avital and Idan Megidish, who themselves experienced a personal crisis and understood the healing potential of entrepreneurship.
“Growth” is intended for entrepreneurs who have created social projects out of crises – personal or collective. The program aims to accompany them in the growth process and provide comprehensive support: professional guidance, emotional support, connections with the academic and business sectors – and most importantly, a supportive community that believes in the power of man to grow from a fracture.
The program is based on the Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) approach, a psychological concept that sees crisis not only as a source of suffering, but also as a potential for personal and social growth.
17 Projects – 17 Stories of Hope
The first cycle of the program, which was marked by an exciting opening event at the President’s House in Jerusalem, includes 17 social projects that are all stories of hope, coping, and courage. Each of the projects represents a different field, but they all have one thing in common: the desire to turn pain into action and trauma into meaning.
There are projects that work to rebuild communities in the Gaza Envelope and in the north of the country, some that focus on vocational guidance for reservists, initiatives that provide support to the wounded and their families and provide accompaniment to bereaved families. Others work with those struggling with mental illness, or deal with education, leadership, female entrepreneurship, employment, and support for small businesses – each of them is a world full of social need and creative solutions that emerged from a crisis.
Broad Collaboration – From Groundbreaking Research to an Active Community
The program is held under the auspices of “Exchanging Words” – the President’s Initiative for a Shared Israeli Tomorrow, and is supported by particularly impressive organizations and individuals: Reichman University, which accompanies the project in psychological research on the connection between trauma and entrepreneurship, Meta, the Israeli Coalition for Trauma, Good Company, and other partners from academia and the business and third sectors, all of whom have joined together with a desire to lead real change.
The willingness to join forces, share knowledge, and give space to the personal voice of entrepreneurs creates a strong foundation for an entire community that leads social reform from the bottom up.
From Pain to Growth – The Beginning of a Journey
“Personal pain has become an engine for positive action for us,” writes Idan Megidish. “From Gal’s and my personal experience, we realized that even – and sometimes precisely – from the most painful and challenging places, it is possible to grow. We can help others, and in fact, ourselves. We discovered that through social action – establishing initiatives that truly succeed in change and influence – we not only promote important things but also manage to cope better with reality.”
“Growth” is proof that even in the eye of the storm, you can find direction, ignite an idea – and start over.
