Healing Israel Begins With Israel’s Families
When the War Comes Home.
He fights for Israel. She fights for their family.
Orot Healing helps them recover — together.
The elite soldiers of Duvdevan risk their lives in silence. Their wives and children pay the price in silence, too.
The Duvdevan Unit—one of Israel’s most elite IDF forces—is the real-life inspiration behind the hit series Fauda. These undercover operatives integrate fully into hostile environments, often for months at a time. They pose as enemy combatants, even form intimate relationships with locals—all to protect Am Yisrael.
A single misstep could lead to capture, or death.
To survive, Duvdevan soldiers are trained to suppress emotion and detach from their families. Even in the face of personal loss, they cannot stop to grieve.
Wives shoulder the weight—managing households, raising children, and wondering daily if their husbands are still alive. When those husbands come home, their families don’t recognize them. They are emotionally distant, struggling with invisible wounds. Marriages fracture. Children feel the loss. There is no roadmap for healing.
When families break down, the cost isn’t just personal — it’s national.
Israel’s Mental Health Crisis
Despite their sacrifices, these heroes and their families face a broken mental health system:
Soldiers and reservists receive woefully insufficient mental health support in frequency and continuity; those entering therapy may never see the same therapist twice.
Their wives receive no government mental health support at all.
Couples receive no government resources to heal together.
That’s where Orot Healing comes in.
The Only Yearlong Trauma-Recovery Program for IDF Couples
With clinical leadership from Dr. Leetal Caidar Benzvi, an expert in combat-related trauma and the developer of a unique, evidence-based therapeutic approach that integrates individual, couples, and trauma-focused treatment, our program offers care that is clinically rigorous and deeply attuned to their lived experience. Dr. Benzvi is also the wife of a Duvdevan veteran, bringing a rare depth of understanding to this work. [Read Dr. Benzvi’s article: Bringing the Heart Back Home (Times of Israel)].
We are also grateful for our collaboration with the Duvdevan Foundation and Maman Nonprofit.
Our program includes:
Intensive therapy and workshops in Israel with top trauma therapists
A 10-day therapeutic retreat, removed from daily stress and trauma triggers
A full year of ongoing individual and couples therapy, workshops, and peer support
Participants join a tight-knit cohort that journeys through healing together. To ensure the program is data-driven, scalable, and clinically effective, Orot Healing collaborates leading trauma researchers.
"The gaps between us feel immense. When I finally returned, we struggled to communicate, which shook our relationship. We are newlyweds, but even though it’s only been six months since I was last in Gaza, it feels like a lifetime. The fear of future deployments or crises still lingers. We need help."
Our Innovative Solution
This program is built on two pillars: immersive healing as a community, and sustained yearlong support—a combination that offers couples a lifeline back to connection, strength, and hope.
Year-Long Support
In Israel, participants experience:
Individual and couples therapy: Ongoing support from the same therapists ensures momentum and progress.
Monthly therapeutic workshops: These gatherings reinforce healing practices, provide a sense of community, and strengthen family bonds.
Family-centered programs: Using both traditional methods innovative expressive arts therapy, families find new ways to connect and heal together.
Transformative Retreat
The journey includes a 10-day retreat in California, away from the trauma triggers, and an opportunity to rediscover each other. Studies show that leaving one's usual environment is one of the most powerful ways to initiate lasting change. During these ten days, reservists and their spouses will begin the transformative work of reconnecting and healing.
"We desperately want to reconnect—with ourselves, with our love, and with the meaning we share as a couple. We also hope to gain a lot from the group dynamic. We believe that the group process is a crucial part of this journey."
At this retreat, participants experience:
A safe, nurturing environment: Complete removal from trauma triggers to focus on healing.
Intensive therapeutic work: Guided by highly trained Israeli therapists, soldiers and their spouses begin the deep work of reconnecting and healing.
Formation of lasting support networks: Bonds formed during the retreat create a foundation for long-term recovery.
This retreat is more than just a break from routine. It’s a life-changing experience that sets the stage for rebuilding relationships and rediscovering hope.
"This program came to us at just the right moment—during a very difficult period at home. The opportunity to share this experience with other couples going through similar challenges adds another layer of support. It offers a sense of belonging, openness, and a space where we can fully commit to the process."
This yearlong structure ensures that families in pain are never alone on their path to recovery.
Together, as a community of couples trying to find their way back to each other, they realize that they are not alone. They form lasting bonds with others who understand their journey, creating a support system that extend beyond the program itself.
The ripple effect of healing is powerful. Together, we can restore the foundation of society—one soldier, one family at a time.
The Power of Your Support
Each donation provides reservist couples with the tools to heal, reconnect, and rebuild. It’s an investment in hope, resilience, and the future of Israeli society.
Program Costs
The total cost per couple is $15,000, which covers:
Intensive 10-day California retreat
Year-long direct therapy program in Israel
Six therapeutic workshops in Israel
For the first group of 32 participants, the total annual program cost is approximately $250,000.
How You Can Help
Your support transforms trauma into resilience and isolation into connection. All donations help support our soldiers and their families! Sponsorship levels include:
One couple’s full year program: $15,000
One soldier’s full year program: $7,500
Orot Healing is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, all donations are tax-deductible.
EIN: 33-1701346
Join us in restoring hope, healing families, and strengthening society.
Contact us to learn more or make a donation:
Email: OrotHealing@gmail.com
Phone/Text/WhatsApp: 917.322.1935
Orot Healing is volunteer-led. Every dollar goes directly to programming. 100% of your donation goes to program costs.