Last week was the official day of Recognition and Appreciation for those Wounded in Israel’s Wars and Terrorist Attacks. We commemorate this day, days after November 29th, the day the United Nations Assembly voted in favor for the establishment of the State of Israel.
An encounter with terrorism of any kind is a life-changing event. The pain, whether physical or mental, never heals and the void is never filled.
In recent months, the TV series Valley of Tears has aired, grasping the public and opening another door to the world of the wounded, both physically and mentally, in war. People suffering from PTSD often become transparent in our society, without anyone relating to them or caring for them in the unique manner they deserve. Unfortunately, this is true year round, but especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic, when everyone is preoccupied with their personal lives and we have all learned to withdraw into ourselves.
47 years have passed and only now many people are coming to terms with their trauma from the Yom Kippur War. OneFamily walks hand –in- hand with bereaved and injured terror victim families to help them cope with their physical scars and emotional wounds, to ensure that 47 years won't pass before they receive the support they need.
OneFamily initiates a relationship with each family, letting them know that they have someone to turn to at any time. OneFamily helps them receive Israeli Governmental support and they supplement all of what is not received by the government. Many injured and traumatized victims receive less than 20% disability from the government, and are not supported by the government. At OneFamily, everyone who has been struck by terrorism, no matter what, is part of the Family – a blood covenant has brought them together.
In 2011, there was a horrendous terrorist attack in front of Binyanei Ha’Uma, in Jerusalem. Hodaya Asulin, then a 14-year-old girl, was on her way home to Mevo Horon, after a long day at school. While waiting for the bus, a bomb exploded and Hodaya was critically injured. Six years of anguish consumed her and her family until in 2017, after a relentless fight for her life, Hodaya passed away, leaving a huge void in the hearts of her parents, brothers, sisters, and all the people who knew her.
During all of those years, OneFamily has stood by their side. Hodaya’s parents had to deal with a completely different life from what they knew. In an instant, their life was turned upside down and their new reality became consumed with how to keep their daughter alive. OneFamily tried to give them everything they needed, gifts for her siblings, personal guidance, and professional help, moments of solace and constant love and affection.
We believe that the resilience of our society begins there, looking out for and appreciating the people who have sacrificed their loved ones so that we can live here freely as Jews in our ancestral homeland.
Hodaya’s mother said” Our children didn’t fit into any category, they were not injured, not bereaved siblings, not orphans. But OneFamily helped each of them based on their own individual needs. No one can even imagine the deep pain that children of any age feel, living with the fact that their sister is here, for six long years, fighting for her life, with their parents' attention totally focused on keeping her alive. And then she was gone. Thank G-d for OneFamily, who matched counselors to each child and supported our every need throughout that entire difficult time.”
In the coming year as well, OneFamily will continue to be there for the thousands of wounded and bereaved and their families, helping them cope, day to day, with the immense tragedies that have changed their lives forever.