Orphans

Orphans who lost parents during October 7 war celebrate joint Kotel bar mitzvah

The boys enjoyed a day-long celebration, proceeding down to the Western wall accompanied by their families, where they were called up to the Torah.

|ByMICHAEL STARR
Bar mitzvah at the Kotel, May 18, 2026.
Avichai Ayubi.

‘I never knew my father’: Avichai Ayubi on loss, Israel’s orphaned generation, and moving forward

Avichai was born five months after his father's death. But that is not to say his father's presence has not played an important role in his life.

|ByMATHILDA HELLER
Res. Sgt. Maj. Adi Shani z"l, Lior Shani and their daughters.

Invisible casualties of war: This is the reality of widows and orphans in Israel during wartime

As the economy reopens during wartime, single-parent families face lost income, emotional strain, and a lack of basic frameworks, forcing many into impossible choices between work and caregiving.

|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Protesters display a banner calling for a halt to executions in Iran during a rally in Berlin, Germany, on January 10, 2026, in support of the Iran protests.

Islamic regime left at least 222 children orphaned with drug-related executions in 2025

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime should pause cooperation with the Islamic regime over drug-related executions, according to a newly published Harm Reduction International report.

|ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD

Ukraine-Russia War: Odessa Jewish Children’s Home struggles with new challenges

There are currently 120 Jewish children housed in the Mishpacha Children’s Home in Odessa, Ukraine.

FEBRUARY 21, 2024ByJTA STAFF
Mishpacha Children’s Home in Odessa cares for 120 Ukrainian Jewish children whose parents either are dead or cannot care for them

3% Rise in orphans in Israel following the war and events of October 7th

Hadar Kess was appointed as an advisor to the State of Israel on orphans due to the dramatic increase in orphans following the October 7th war.

FEBRUARY 13, 2024ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Mr. Yoav Kisch, Minister of Education, visits and appreciates Sunflowers' activity during the war

Crowdfunding campaign launched to support orphaned toddler whose mother was killed during October 7

The campaign aims to provide financial security for the toddler, whose mother was killed by Hamas terrorists, and whose father was kidnapped to Gaza the same day.

OCTOBER 31, 2023ByZACHY HENNESSEY
The destruction caused by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Be'eri, near the Israeli-Gaza border, in southern Israel, October 14, 2023.

How Sunflowers is changing the lives of Israel's orphaned children

'Sunflowers' is the only organization in Israel that provides psychological support services for orphans. As Israel faces the most difficult time in its history, Sunflower's work is crucial.

OCTOBER 29, 2023ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Hadar Kess, founder and CEO of Sunflowers with Lahav Vered, who was orphaned during operation “Guardian of the Walls”

The unresearched phenomenon which affects 153,000,000 children worldwide

In this article, Hadar Kass- founder of the Sunflowers social movement, analyses this phenomenon.

OCTOBER 4, 2023ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Hadar Kass, founder of the Sunflowers social movement