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Each year, the IDF Widows & Orphans Organization (IDFWO) hosts an annual Bar and Bat Mitzvah program for children who have lost a parent while serving in Israel’s security forces. As part of the program, 28 children from across Israel participated last month in a three-week delegation to the United States. The trip began in Chicago, where participants stayed with local host families, before spending nearly a week at Camp Chi in Wisconsin alongside American children. The delegation then traveled to New York City and New Jersey, with activities including visits to Times Square and a Broadway performance. For many of the participants, it was their first visit to the United States and an opportunity to travel independently from their families for an extended period.
The program is designed to bring together children who have experienced the loss of a parent and provide opportunities to build relationships with peers who share similar experiences, while also connecting them with Jewish communities abroad. Participants come from communities across Israeli society, including Jewish and Druze families, and the delegation is supported by counselors, including former participants who return to accompany younger children. The Bar and Bat Mitzvah initiative is part of IDFWO’s broader work supporting bereaved families through programs, assistance, advocacy and long-term support. Founded in 1991, IDFWO currently supports more than 18,000 widows, widowers and orphans across Israel, providing support throughout different stages of their lives through educational, social and welfare programs, financial assistance, advocacy and community initiatives. Since the outbreak of the Swords of Iron War, the circle of bereavement has expanded significantly, including 364 new widows and widowers, among them 48 pregnant widows, and 912 new orphans.
Speaking to a counsellor on the final day of the trip, participant Talia, who had struggled during a previous summer camp experience, said: “I don’t want to get out of bed. This was the best summer trip ever! I don’t want to go home. I can’t wait to see everyone at the next Otzma camp!”
Another participant, Rona, reflected on the personal impact of the experience: “I’ve changed during this trip. Now I share, even when it’s not easy for me, because I see my friends’ needs.”
“The IDFWO Bar Mitzvah Trip is one of the most powerful programs we have, and I believe it is among the most important things we do here in the United States. These children have already experienced a loss no child should ever have to know. Bringing them here at this moment in their lives is our opportunity to surround them with love, celebrate them, and show them, in a way they can truly feel, that they are part of a family that will always be there for them.”
– Dan Elbaum, Executive Director of IDFWO USA
