Reservists are back on the front lines and they’re still fighting to stay afloat

In 2024, we launched the Yuval Fund – a dedicated financial relief initiative providing interest-free loans to Israeli reservists and their families – to honor our beloved friend, Yuval Silber, who gave his life on the front lines just weeks after rushing home from abroad to serve. We thought we were creating something modest but meaningful – something to reflect Yuval’s values and provide a bit of breathing room to reservists struggling to stay afloat amid war.

We didn’t realize we were opening a window into a national emergency.

Since its launch, the fund has distributed more than $8 million – in interest-free loans to reservists and their families. We’ve raised over $11.3million, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of supporters in Israel and around the world. But here’s what the numbers reveal more than anything: the need is staggering. And it’s growing.

Reservists aren’t just returning from war – they’re being sent back to it.

In recent weeks, as fighting reignites in Gaza and tensions on the northern border threaten to re-erupt, tens of thousands of reservists have once again been called to the front. For many, this is not their first or second deployment – it’s their third, even fourth. Some have already served more than 300 days since October 7, 2023. That’s more than half a year away from their families, their careers, their lives.

This isn’t a momentary disruption. It’s a profound and ongoing rupture in the social and economic fabric of Israeli life.

Families are unraveling under financial and emotional strain. Careers have been stalled or derailed altogether. Small businesses – many owned by reservists – are barely hanging on. The average income of borrowers is just under 14,500 NIS per month (under $4,000) – slightly below Israel’s national average salary, and far from sufficient to sustain a family facing rising living costs, housing payments, and prolonged periods without stable employment. In Israel today, the average household expenditure is around 16,000 NIS per month – and for families with children, significantly more. For many reservists, the math simply doesn’t add up.

While government support exists, it is limited and often delayed. It’s not enough.

This is where social impact – organizations like Ogen, philanthropists, and grassroots initiatives – have stepped in to fill the vacuum. The Yuval Fund provides interest-free loans that are fast, flexible, and most importantly accessible. These loans cover groceries, rent, school fees, utility bills – and for many reservists who own businesses, operating costs that can mean the difference between survival and closure. They ensure that those who give everything for this country don’t return home to financial collapse.

Our reservists are not asking for luxuries. They are asking for stability.
And still, they serve.

The Yuval Fund alone has provided 728 interest-free loans to date, but applications have now surpassed 1,800, a clear illustration of the surging demand. Ogen’s broader reservist relief programs have supported 109 reservist-owned businesses with nearly $8 million in affordable credit, helping them stay afloat despite prolonged absences. Through Ogen for the Future – a separate program which combines affordable credit with free financial counseling, emotional guidance, housing assistance, and debt restructuring to help families build true economic resilience – more than 100 reservist families have received holistic support – from financial guidance to emotional counseling, from housing assistance to debt restructuring.

But all of these numbers point to one deeper truth: this is only the beginning.

This is not just a story of support. It’s a moment for reflection.

A year and a half into this war, we’re witnessing extraordinary courage – and equally extraordinary strain. Strain on families. On livelihoods. On the very people who safeguard our future.

We cannot afford to look away.

The burden has grown heavier with each passing month. Many reservists are now back on duty, with barely any time to recover. The financial, emotional, and physical toll is mounting. And their resilience is being tested like never before.

They continue to show up. The question now is: are we truly seeing them?

Yuval saw people. He stood up when others stood back. He lived with quiet responsibility and unwavering commitment. The fund that bears his name is more than a tribute – it’s a mirror of who we aspire to be as a society.

We’ve come far in just a few months. But the real work is just beginning. Ogen is stepping up – not just with emergency relief, but by building lasting economic resilience. Because in times like these, economic security is national security. Protecting Israel means protecting its families, businesses, and future.

This moment demands more than temporary solutions – it demands sustained attention, long-term infrastructure, and a renewed understanding of our national priorities. It challenges us to ask: how do we ensure that those who protect our future also have one of their own?