Reverse the Gaslighting of Our Reservists
For over two years now, tens of thousands of families have been living in an ongoing state of emergency. They have been living through a grueling reality – another tzav, another absence, another birthday missed, another business barely hanging on, another child asking when Ima or Abba will be home—for how long this time?
And yet, especially now, these families are being forgotten. People are saying:
“The war is over.”
“Things in Israel are ok now.”
“You only need to serve 2-3 months a year in the reserves.”
Though many of us have returned to our regular daily lives, reservists and their families are still dealing with war conditions!
Their spouse or parent is still serving in reserve duty for months at a time, and after two years of extended and repeated reserve duty, this is only becoming more difficult for the family. How can we allow this to continue? When the price these families pay is minimized, something very deep breaks in our society. Not only trust in government, but trust in the social contract itself. Reservist families are carrying a huge burden on their backs, and not only is it not fair – it is not sustainable.
At HaOgen for Reservist Families, we see this reality every day. Families in which one partner is serving while the other holds everything together at home, alone. Families whose savings are gone. Whose careers are stalled. Whose emotional reserves are depleted. Families who did not sign up for this length or intensity of service, but continue anyway, out of commitment to this country and to all of us.
Across Israel, HaOgen’s volunteers continue to step up. Volunteers are still cooking and delivering meals, folding laundry, walking the dog, babysitting, helping with homework, calling to check in and listening. We have formed communities around this support. These volunteers want to take part in the effort, help shoulder some of this responsibility. Our 20,000 volunteers now support over 35,000 reservist families in 1,000 cities and towns throughout the country!
The additional difficulties these families face also require responses. How does a mother explain to her 3-year-old that her father will be gone for 3 months? How do the children handle having their parent return from service for one day, only to return to duty for weeks? How do couples re-integrate their lives after one parent has been entrenched in military concerns and the other had to learn to handle the household alone?
HaOgen works to answer these questions, offering a holistic support model. We partner with expert organizations and institutions that provide counseling, emotional support, and couples workshops. These programs provide critical support to help hold these families together.
Many families also face economic challenges due to extended and ongoing reserve duty – whether due to unexpected expenses surrounding the reserve duty or the inability to maintain a steady income because of it. HaOgen partners with other organizations to provide the critical assistance to help these families so they don’t fall into hardship.
This is not charity. These are not needy families. It is our societal responsibility to be there for these families.
Reservists and their families are the human infrastructure of Israel’s security. But not only that, these families also make up Israel’s economy. They are the teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, business owners, etc. If they collapse, something far greater collapses with them. Israel will not survive if this sector of society isn’t supported through this difficult time period. We must continue to be here for them. We all must take part in this.
Let’s replace gaslighting with gratitude.
Show up for these families.
To volunteer: https://www.haogenmiluim.org.il/volunteer
To contribute: https://www.jgive.com/new/he/ils/donation-targets/159176
