Six-year-old Noa used to run to the door every time she heard her father’s key turn in the lock. But now, when her father comes home, she hesitates.
The man standing in front of her looks like Daddy, but he doesn’t act like the Daddy she remembers.
Noa’s father returned home from months of fighting on the front lines. But the war didn’t stay behind in Gaza—it followed him home. It’s in the way he doesn’t smile as much, the way he forgets to play with her, and the way her mother’s eyes fill with worry every time she looks at him. For children like Noa, the return of their soldier-parent is confusing and heartbreaking. They expected the hugs, the games, and the laughter to return—but instead, they’ve been met with silence, distance, and a parent who seems to be lost in memories they can’t understand.
Click here to help them heal>>>
Thousands of Israeli children are dealing with the emotional fallout of having a parent who is struggling with PTSD, anxiety, and depression. The invisible wounds of war have transformed their homes into places of tension and sadness. Children sense their parents’ struggles but often don’t have the words to express their confusion and fear. Organization Shomrei Yisroel is raising funds not just for the soldiers, but for their children as well, to access much-needed therapy. They need someone to help them understand that Daddy didn’t stop loving them—he’s just fighting a battle inside himself.