Israel now enters a phase defined not by battlefield decisions but by the need to sustain a fragile ceasefire and adapt to a new security reality as one of the lessons from October 7. The relative stability created by the ceasefire, however, makes it possible for us to redirect attention to long-term recovery. The consequences of this war continue to shape daily life for thousands of families.
Nearly 7,000 Israelis have joined the community of bereaved, including almost 2,000 parents and close to 1,000 orphans. Their loss is permanent, and the responsibility to support them must be equally enduring.
The state provides essential financial assistance, therapy, and education benefits, but no government system can fully meet the emotional and practical needs of families living with profound grief. Many parents, spouses, and children now face routines that feel unfamiliar and overwhelming. As the initial shock fades, their needs become more complex, and the role of community grows more important.
What bereaved families require most is sustained, personal, and meaningful connection. Support that comes in the form of shared time, understanding, and a willingness to accompany them through grief can be as valuable as any financial assistance. Opportunities that allow families to step away from daily pressures and spend time with others who understand their loss are especially powerful.
In these settings, parents and siblings can speak openly about their experiences, find comfort in shared understanding, and begin rebuilding their inner strength. These environments reduce isolation and remind families that their pain is recognized.
Children and teenagers have unique needs. Many benefit from time spent in settings that offer both emotional distance from their grief and a chance to experience normal childhood moments again. Being surrounded by peers who have experienced similar loss gives them a sense of belonging.
It allows them to rebuild confidence and trust in their future. Experiences that combine joy, routine, and emotional support can help young people process their loss in healthy and constructive ways.
Global solidarity: extending a lifeline beyond Israel
Another form of support that has proven deeply meaningful involves long-term personal connections between bereaved families and individuals or communities abroad. When families receive consistent messages, calls, and gestures of care from people who remain present throughout the years, it reinforces that their loved one’s memory lives well beyond Israel’s borders.
This type of international companionship offers both emotional and practical help. It creates relationships that span continents and provides families with a sense of global solidarity.
These kinds of initiatives demonstrate the vital role of the Jewish Diaspora. For many bereaved families, knowing that their grief is shared by communities around the world offers real comfort. A note received on a difficult anniversary, a visit from abroad, or a gift sent to a child who lost a parent signals that the family is not alone.
It shows that their loved one is remembered as part of the broader Jewish story. Solidarity of this kind strengthens the bond between Israeli families and Jews worldwide.
To maximize the impact of this support, efforts must be strategic. Israel and its partners abroad should focus on initiatives that offer long-term benefits. Multi-year commitments to counseling, mentorship, and youth support can help families regain stability. Clear coordination between organizations, communities, and donors ensures that help reaches the families who need it most.
When support is structured rather than improvised, families can trust that it will continue.
Israel’s recovery also depends on simplifying the systems that bereaved families must navigate. In the months following the loss of a loved one, no family should face bureaucratic confusion. A more unified framework that combines emotional care, financial aid, and educational support would reduce pressure and allow families to focus on healing.
The goal is not only to respond to the immediate impact of loss but also to help families rebuild their independence.
Honoring the fallen requires more than remembrance. It requires investing in the lives of the families they left behind. When a parent regains strength through community support, when a spouse receives help returning to work, or when a child rediscovers confidence through a nurturing environment, the entire nation benefits.
These are the moments when the legacy of the fallen translates into resilience for the living.
Bereaved families play an essential role in shaping Israel’s future. Their ability to heal influences the country’s social fabric and moral strength. It is in Israel’s interest, and in the interest of Jewish communities worldwide, to ensure that they receive consistent and compassionate support.
These families should feel the presence of their nation and their global community not only in the early days of mourning but throughout the many stages of rebuilding.
The work ahead requires clarity and commitment. Support must continue long after the headlines fade. Israel and the Jewish world must walk with these families as they navigate a lifetime shaped by loss. Long-term relationships, accessible services, and coordinated efforts will allow us to meet their needs with purpose and care.
Israel now faces the responsibility of caring for those who carry its greatest loss. When we invest in their strength and future, we honor the values for which the fallen lived and served. Their legacy endures when we ensure that their families are never left to face grief alone.
The writer, an IDF major general (res.), is the chief executive officer of Friends of the IDF (FIDF).