For generations, the Jewish people retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt as they gather around the Passover Seder table, a journey of grief and sorrow, but also the resilience and triumph of the Jewish people. This message takes on a somber new meaning this year, as Jewish families around the world prepare to retell the Passover story, many still enduring the trauma of the October 7th attacks and ongoing war with Hamas. Thousands of families of those killed or taken hostage on that harrowing day remain fractured, and the journey of the Passover story, from oppression to liberation, remains a far-off dream for those still living in the hell of October 7.
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For Yigal and Limor David, whose son Amit (24) was killed at the Nova Festival, the holidays are a painful reminder of the world they have lost. “Holidays for our family, and especially Amit, were about being together. But this year, we don’t even feel that it is a holiday. This will be the first [major] holiday without our son. It is difficult for everyone to see us unable to move forward with our lives,” Limor shares with a deafening sorrow in her voice as she recounts just one year ago how Amit returned from his post-army trip to South America just before Passover eve to be with his family for Seder. Amit’s beaming presence would light up the holiday table, so the unfathomable idea of hosting a holiday meal only reopens the pain felt by his tragic death.
Despite the collective pain suffered by millions of Israelis and Jews around the world, Passover will be a time for them to reflect and embrace their families as they work to move forward towards a brighter future. For Yigal and Limor, like thousands of other families, sharing their holiday with extended family is a stark reminder that their immediate family will never be made whole again.
Unable to express their pain with others who are sharing in the unfathomable ordeal, Yigal and Limor conceded that they would forgo the holiday which meant so much to Amit until they were invited to a Passover Seder hosted by OneFamily, an organization committed to providing support to the victims of terrorism and their families.
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“As soon as we received the invitation that they are hosting a Passover Seder, we felt excited for the first time in so long. I knew I wanted to be there because I know that there we will be with people that are in the exact same position as us,” shares Yigal with an overwhelming feeling of relief for having a solution to how they can commemorate the holiday while having the complete freedom to be themselves, “I don’t have to pretend and nobody else will be pretending either, knowing that everyone is just like me. You have no idea what it did for us, it made everything so easy.”
Established in 2001 after the Sbarro suicide bombing, OneFamily was founded by Chantal and Marc Belzberg through the inspiration of their daughter Michal, who suggested canceling her Bat-Mitzvah party in order to donate the funds to the survivors and the families of the victims. Since then, the organization has grown tremendously, creating a national, self-supportive family to provide a lifeline to the victims of terror.
“Our goal is to help these victims learn to live again. We’re like long-term care; we hold people's hands and make sure they don't fall and will eventually thrive. We are here to ensure that terrorism will not triumph by making sure that nobody is left behind and that everyone receives the help they need,” Chantal Belzberg, CEO of OneFamily states ahead of the upcoming Passover Seder, which will host 60 families, including 19 widows, and 41 couples, like Yigal and Limor, who lost children in the October 7th Massacre. Staying for the first days of Passover together in a hotel, families will be treated to performances and magic shows for children, while also offering therapy and group sessions for children and adults, as they help to ease the pain of the upcoming holiday without their loved ones.
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Up until October 6th, OneFamily has helped nearly 12,000 victims of terror, 7,240 families, 1,638 bereaved parents and 1,142 orphans. In the wake of the devastating attacks that have left thousands of families fractured or broken, OneFamily has been a guiding light that has helped the families of the victims navigate their daily lives when many cannot even find a reason to continue living. All that changed on October 7th and OneFamily was there working around the clock to embrace the families of the victims, taking extra measures to provide individualized care for each family based on their specific needs.
While the State of Israel works to help the bereaved families, the bureaucratic process and ongoing war make seeking support a daunting task in of itself. "OneFamily listens to our needs, without having to ask, and knows exactly how to best support us,” explains Ines Yoav, whose husband, Michael was killed at the Nova Festival, “From the 7th of October, OneFamily has been in constant contact with me, sometimes just to check how we’re doing. They continuously encourage us, support us and provide the spiritual assistance that we desperately need. From the beginning, they have been right here by our side.”
Ines, who now raises her two children (13 and 22) on her own, feels like her entire life has stood still since her husband was taken from them. Michael would fill her life with laughter and be the one to bring the entire family together around the holidays. Now void of laughter and joy, Ines lives because she needs to, for her children, but the day-to-day work of a parent navigating the complex emotional needs of her two bereaved children makes even the most mundane tasks challenging.
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“OneFamily are the ones who worry about our mental and spiritual wellbeing. They provide support for all ages, from young children to the elderly, and take care of the individuals' daily needs for each family,” Ines adds, exhibiting a palpable sigh of relief knowing that there is someone looking out for her when she cannot manage to even think about herself, “For me, they help send my daughter to all kinds of activities and trips. Help with groceries, babysitter, and any other needs. It is hard for me to ask myself, but Mindy [our case worker] takes the initiative and helps with everything I couldn’t ask myself.”
‘A platform that allows for pain and hope’
OneFamily’s unique approach to creating a platform that allows for pain and sadness, but also hope and laughter has created a community that families like Ines and Yigal and Limor could have never expected. It is through this community that the families of the victims have a sense of purpose, of belonging.
While families like the Yoavs and Davids will still feel the loss of their loved ones even more around the Seder table, OneFamily is providing a safe space where families can fully express themselves through an array of complex emotions and experiences. Their pain may never heal, but OneFamily demonstrates that among the Jewish people, nobody needs to be alone. However there is still so much work to be done. With thousands of families in need of support, OneFamily’s commitment to excellence is felt through their individual approach for every victim.
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“There is still a huge amount of work to do, we don't wait for them to come to us, we could be reaching at least ten new families everyday,” Chantal explains, adding that OneFamily has provided immense support for more than 900 families since October 7th, but have a goal of reaching more than 3,000 who need their help, “We were not prepared for what happened in the wake of October 7th, but we are working around the clock to support as many as possible. We don't just provide an emergency response, we are in it for the long term, it's our job to help them see the light at the end of the tunnel, rehabilitation isn't the right word, it's about learning to live again.
The heartfelt response of OneFamily’s staff and volunteers has gone above and beyond and has changed the lives of those who have experienced a tragic loss. But Chantal remains burdened with the understanding that there are countless families that are not receiving the care they desperately need, many continue to feel isolated and alone in their struggle, as OneFamily works to bring in more supporters to directly help those who need it most.
There are thousands of Israelis in pain from trauma, injury, displacement and loss today. There are hundreds of ways that we can support them and help get each and everyone back on their feet.
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This article was written in cooperation with OneFamily.