(Courtesy of OneFamily) As Israel rejoices as hostages return home, many terror victims are experiencing renewed pain. The national joy of this moment is tempered by anguish as Israelis grapple with the release of convicted terrorists. For victims of past attacks, seeing their perpetrators walk free reopens wounds that will never fully heal.
At the heart of supporting survivors is OneFamily, Israel’s leading national organization dedicated to the long-term care of terror victims and their families. For two decades, OneFamily has provided personalized support to thousands of Israelis of all ages affected by terror and war.
A Lifeline for Terror Victims
OneFamily recognizes that healing is a lifelong journey requiring comprehensive individualized care. Through financial aid, trauma therapy, mentorship, and peer-to-peer healing retreats, OneFamily ensures that survivors receive the help they need, no matter how much time has passed.
OneFamily equally embraces those coming home and their families, and those for whom the release of convicted terrorists causes personal pain. The pain these families are experiencing is not just the loss of their loved ones but the haunting reality that these terrorists are now walking free. The scars of the past are being reopened, making the healing process even more difficult. OneFamily is actively helping those in need and bracing for an influx of requests for support in the weeks ahead.
“We see time and again that the trauma of terror doesn’t fade,” said Naomi Nussbaum, OneFamily’s executive director. “Our team holds these complex emotions, creating space for each family, while continuing to uphold the promise to be with all of them every step of the way throughout a lifetime of healing. We are here to make sure they don’t go through it alone.”
Building a Stronger Future
OneFamily remains committed to long-term healing that goes far beyond crisis intervention. Their infrastructure and professional network to help victims and their families includes consistent, personalized support from psychologists, therapists, mentors and volunteers. The organization also hosts healing retreats, where survivors connect with others who understand their pain, breaking the isolation that trauma often brings.
Twenty-three years ago, Tzofia Felzen Dikshtein was a teenager when her parents and 10-year-old brother were killed in a 2002 terror attack. Palestinian gunmen sprayed bullets, leaving nine surviving Dikshtein children, aged 2 to 20 years old, orphaned and alone. Dikshtein shared her mixed feelings with raw honesty, which resonates deeply with the emotions so many are feeling now:
“To see this murderer walk free opens up old wounds in a way that is hard to even put into words. But I am choosing to focus on life, on good, on the baby I am expecting as I feel it kick, on the beautiful homecoming of our girls. Because this is what we do.”
Today, as Israelis navigate this next chapter in a horrific war, OneFamily’s mission is more vital than ever. By standing with terror victims in their darkest moments, the organization ensures that they do not just survive — but find the strength, like Dikshtein, to rebuild and thrive.
For more information or to support OneFamily’s work, visit www.onefamilyfundus.org.
