The IDF Widows and Orphans Organization awarded more than NIS 2 million in scholarships and grants to widows and orphans of fallen IDF soldiers and security personnel at its annual “Ruach Ahat” ceremony, the organization announced.
The ceremony, which has been held annually since 2008, has become one of the organization’s central traditions for honoring and supporting bereaved families at major life milestones. This year, 478 scholarships and grants were awarded, including academic scholarships, appreciation grants for IDF orphans who served in active reserve duty over the past year, and wedding gifts for members of the organization who married during the year.
The event was held in the presence of Orna Zamir, wife of IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir; Adv. Zehava Gross Meydan, chairwoman of the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization; Shlomi Nahumson, the organization’s CEO; Arieh Mualem, deputy director general and head of the Families, Commemoration and Heritage Department at the Defense Ministry; Brig.-Gen. Edna Ilya, the IDF’s chief human resources officer and head of the Casualties Division, and Col. Meital Samet-Cohen, head of the IDF Casualties Department.
Gross Meydan said the grants reflect the organization’s confidence in the families it supports.
“The support we provide at the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization is more than financial assistance. It is a statement of trust,” she said. “We believe in you, in your strength, and in your potential to lead, influence, and build the future of Israeli society.”
She added that the organization was proud to honor members who married this year and those who served in the reserves.
A lifelong commitment to the families of the fallen
“For us, this is the deep meaning of true support: being there for you in the moments that shape life, the future, and hope,” Gross Meydan said.
Nahumson said the organization views its role as a lifelong commitment to the families of the fallen.
“The IDF Widows and Orphans Organization has made it its mission to be there for IDF widows and orphans throughout their lives, and we are committed to that,” he said. “This evening, we are distributing more than NIS 2 million in scholarships, wedding grants, and appreciation gifts, the highest amount the organization has ever allocated for these scholarships and grants.”
He said the record sum reflected the organization’s desire to serve as “support, a foundation, and a true home” for bereaved families.
Bereaved families 'will never be left alone'
The IDF Widows and Orphans Organization, founded in 1991, is the representative body for widows, widowers, and orphans of fallen members of the IDF and Israel’s security forces. It supports more than 18,000 widows, widowers, and orphans of fallen IDF soldiers, police officers, Shin Bet and Mossad personnel, Prison Service members, and members of civilian security squads.
The organization provides scholarships and grants, personal assistance, courses and workshops, counseling and mentoring programs, summer camps for children and teenagers, family vacations, study days, and community initiatives across the country.
Since the beginning of the war, according to the organization, Israel’s circle of bereaved families has grown significantly, with 358 new widows and widowers, including 48 women who were pregnant when their partners fell, as well as 908 newly bereaved orphans.
The organization said it remains committed to ensuring that these families “will never be left alone” as they rebuild their lives after loss.