International Family Day May 2024
"Raising children is still one of life's fundamental journeys. The dilemmas of how parents should act with their children, so that their wishes for them become a reality, bedevil even the hardiest parents" (Massie & Szanberg, 2005). ” But no journey prepares parents for the loss of their children...” (Alonim, 2024)
As years pass, the challenges grow, possibilities expand, families’ gender composition changes, and at the same time, there is much loss, anxiety and uncertainty that characterize many families during this terrible period in a few areas worldwide; Ukraine, Gaza and Israel of course, and which requires unfamiliar challenging coping strategies.
Nationally, we all experience a huge trauma. In a small country like ours, we all know families who lost their loved ones, civilians who were murdered at their homes through no fault of their own, young soldiers killed, and young people, adults and children were kidnapped to Gaza. It is an unbearable feeling of personal and national insecurity. There is a lot of pain and anger, which will take many years to overcome. With the outbreak of the attack by Hamas in the south of Israel, Hezbollah attacks in the north also began. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated from their homes, both in the south and north of the country. All those families who have been forced to leave their homes are uncertain about their future: will they be able to return to their homes? When? How do you mediate to children what is happening around them? How do you explain to young children with developmental difficulties why they are not at home? How do you treat their anxieties? How do you help them get used to a foreign and unorganized environment, since most of the residents have been placed in hotels and have been staying there (5.6.7 people in one room) for 7 months! This has of course a huge impact on their daily dynamic lives; separations, depression and chaos.
Israelis are mostly strong people who bring great sacrifice and support to others in times of need. There are families who have been saved by other hero families. But there are many families among us, who lost their children, parents, siblings, and cannot take part at this Family Day: Their families fell apart.
We at the Mifne Center, which families are at the heart of our care, dedicate this post to the 1665! Israeli families who have fallen apart since 7.10. 2023
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