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The Grit Economy: How Israelis Rebuild With Faith and Strength

JL;DR SUMMARY Israeli families faced significant economic and emotional challenges during the recent conflict, with many, like Miriam and Natan, balancing family obligations with military service in the reserves (miluim). A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

FamilyCommunitySpiritualityResilienceEconomyConflictArmyMiluimSelf Employed

Places mentioned

Tel Aviv, Southern District, Israel
"Professor Manuel Trajtenberg, professor emeritus of economics at Tel Aviv University and senior faculty at the Mandel Leadership Institute, describes Israelis as incredibly resilient, recounting stories of reservists in Gaza with laptops who keep running their start-ups."
Jerusalem, Central District, Israel
"Aware of highly profitable makolets in Jerusalem, he thought the approach could be replicated in Tel Aviv."
Modiin, Central District, Israel
"Patrick Amar, a tour guide who made aliyah from Montreal to Modiin twenty years ago, was forced to reinvent himself."
Alon Shvut, Southern District, Israel
"Tourism has always been a volatile profession, says Shulie Mishkin of Alon Shvut, a thirty-year resident of Israel and a tour guide for two decades."
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
"Last May, Miriam, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, walked away from her role as vice president of marketing at a start-up with offices across Israel."
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
"Natan, an attorney by training, made aliyah from Toronto in 2006."
Central District, Israel
"By late December, Amar reported that guiding work had resumed. Thank G-d, Ive been busy since the end of the holidays. Its quiet now, but 2026 is already filling up."
Southern District, Israel
"The Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel reports that the largest employment gains during the war were in the health, welfare and social services sector, as well as in education, while the steepest declines occurred in hospitality and food services and in information and communication services."
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Retrieved 2026-03-10 05:31:17 UTC
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