IDFWO

The war returns. The grief never left

When war returns, families of fallen soldiers relive a loss that never truly left them. And the least we can do is make sure they do not face it alone.

 AVIGAYIL, THE WIDOW, holds the baby at the brit.
Shlomi Nahumson, CEO of the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization

The debt that never closes

Shlomi Nahumson, CEO of the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization

New law expands rights for IDF widows & orphans

 Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose son, Hersh, was murdered in Hamas captivity in Gaza, attends a demonstration in Jerusalem earlier this month.

Even as living hostages are home: What we owe those who died for them - opinion


Through Grief and Hope: Why Israel’s Widows and Orphans Must Never Stand Alone

A Letter from Yossi Cohen, former head of the Mossad and President of the IDFWO International Friends Association.

Yossi Cohen

Pairing with A Lifeline of Giving: Max August Stands with Israel’s Widows and Orphans

By mobilizing donors and raising awareness, August strengthens the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization’s vital mission of hope, healing, and support.

Max August and IDFWO CEO Shomi Nahumson at the IDFWO 2025 Academic Scholarship Event in Tel Aviv.

From Yarka to New York: An IDF Orphan’s Journey of Healing

The IDF Widows and Orphans Organization’s annual “Superheroes Trip” brings bereaved children together; for counselor Athar Aboreesh, it became a journey of healing too.

Athar Aboreesh worked as a counselor on the IDFWO’s Superheroes Trip.

Holidays in the Shadow of Loss: An empty chair, a broken heart

Amid the light of the High Holidays, widows of fallen IDF soldiers share stories of loss, resilience, and the strength to keep their families’ traditions alive.

The Yeger Family

From Loss to Launch: Opening Doors to Hi-Tech Careers for IDF Orphans and Widows

The IDFWO 'Bonim Atid' program empowers widows and orphans to change careers and shape the next chapter of their lives.

Bonim Atid event at Google in Tel Aviv.

Battle at Be'eri: One unit’s darkest hour

MATPA, the Israeli Police's elite combat unit, lost seven fighters and its commander in the battle for Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7.Two years on, their widows share their voices of loss and resilience

Wives of police commandos of the ‘MATPA’ unit who were killed in Kibbutz Be'eri

Two years without closure

Yaffa’s battle to bring Lior Rudaeff home.

Hadas Adar, Saphir Zohav Hamami, Yaffa Rudaeff, and Ela Haimi are all waiting for the return of their husbands’ bodies from Gaza

First they lost their husbands - then their homes were hit by Iranian missiles

Supported by IDFWO, these women face down a second tragedy with strength, sorrow, and a deep sense of purpose.

Rotem Blohman with her husband Yakir, z”l and children Koren and Imri.

Rabbi Marvin Hier at Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem: “God doesn’t want to run the world alone”

Co-Chairman of the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem spoke at Yom HaZikaron Memorial, shared a message of faith and resilience

Left to right: Rabbi Marvin Hier, Yossi Cohen, Danny Danon, and Larry A. Mizel.

Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem Chairman: “A time to mourn. To remember. To honor."

Chairman Larry A. Mizel spoke at the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem's Yom HaZikaron Memorial, urged to keep the memory of the fallen and build unity

 Larry A. Mizel, Chairman of the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem, speaking at the Yom HaZikaron Memorial at the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem.