While He Defends Israel, She Holds the Family Together

Dear Friends,

Passover is just twelve days away. As the war rages on, families across Israel are beginning to prepare. Kitchens are being cleaned, shopping lists are being written, and homes are being made ready for the Seder table. It is a season rich with meaning, one that calls families together to remember God’s faithfulness in delivering His people from bondage. The story of Passover is one of redemption, freedom, and the promise that God never forgets those who cry out to Him.

But this year, as it has been in recent years, many homes in Israel will set a Seder table with an empty chair. Husbands and fathers who should be breaking matzah with their children will instead be standing watch on the front lines, called up once again for reserve duty. For their wives, this Passover will not begin with celebration. It will begin with the quiet, familiar ache of doing it all alone.

Since October 7, 2023, tens of thousands of Israeli reservists have been called up repeatedly to serve. Some have been deployed three, four, even five times and more. The ongoing security demands of the nation have placed an enormous and sustained burden on these families. And while much attention is rightly given to the soldiers themselves, far less is said about the women they leave behind.

These women are the hidden pillars of Israel’s home front. While their husbands protect the nation, they protect everything else. They get the children to school. They pay the bills. They manage the household, handle the emotional needs of frightened children, and navigate financial pressures that grow heavier with every deployment. They do all of this while carrying the constant, unspoken weight of worry for the safety of the man they love.

And for many, asking for help does not come easily. They see others suffering. They tell themselves they should be able to manage. But emotional exhaustion is real, even when it goes unseen.

At Vision for Israel, we have had the privilege of meeting some of these remarkable women, and their stories have moved us deeply.

One woman we met is caring for two children on her own, including a child with special needs. Her husband owns a small renovation business, but since the war began, he has been called up for service multiple times. His business has nearly collapsed, and debts to suppliers continue to mount. She is managing the home, the children, and the finances alone, stretched to her limit both emotionally and practically.

Another soldier enlisted on the very first day of the war. He came home briefly, only to be drafted again. His employer could not hold his position, and he was let go. Now the family is accumulating debt, and his wife has become the sole breadwinner, carrying a weight no one should have to carry alone.

Then there is a young couple from central Israel. The father is a reserve officer. The mother is a teacher on maternity leave with a three-month-old baby and a two-year-old toddler. There were complications during the baby’s birth, leading to a long and difficult hospitalization. They have no family support nearby, and the repeated call-ups have placed a tremendous emotional burden on the mother, who is raising both children alone with daily uncertainty about when her husband will return.

One family was evacuated from their home after the October 7 attack. They have still not been able to return and are living in temporary housing. The husband is now on his fifth round of reserve duty. The wife and children are dealing with PTSD and receiving ongoing treatment. They are trying to rebuild some sense of normalcy, but the road is long and painful.

These are not statistics. These are mothers, partners, and caregivers who love their families and their country. They are holding everything together, often at a great personal cost.

That is why Vision for Israel has been hosting special gatherings at the Millennium Center specifically for reserve soldiers’ families. So far, we have held several events, including therapeutic sessions for couples, evenings designed just for the wives to recharge and relax, creative workshops where the women can make something beautiful to take home, and whole-family events where children can simply be children again. These gatherings are led by professional therapists and designed to offer emotional encouragement, fellowship with other women walking the same difficult road, and a safe space to breathe.

The response has been overwhelming. Women who walked in carrying the weight of months of isolation and stress have left with lighter hearts. Couples who had not had a moment of connection in months found space to talk, to listen, and to heal. Children who had been living in fear found laughter again.

Passover reminds us that God sees His people in their distress. Just as He heard the cries of the people of Israel in Egypt, He hears the quiet prayers of these women today. And just as He moved through human hands to bring deliverance, He moves through us when we choose to act.

Your support can help us continue this vital work. With your gift, we can provide meaningful, uplifting events for these families. We can offer professional emotional support, a catered meal, small gifts for the women and children, and the kind of encouragement that strengthens them for the weeks ahead. Every gathering we hold sends a powerful message to these wives and mothers: you are seen, you are valued, and you are not forgotten.

Would you consider giving today to help reserve soldiers’ wives and their families this Passover? Your generosity makes it possible for us to wrap our arms around those who are holding the home front together while their husbands defend the nation.

To give today, please visit our website.


With love and gratitude,

Barry & Batya