Israeli summer camp supports young orphans and their widowed mothers
Art therapy, creative workshops, swimming, yoga and magic: four-day retreat for 92 mothers and more than 160 children
Widowed mothers and their young children came together last week for the summer Otzmama camp, a four-day IDF Widows & Orphans Organisation (IDFWO) programme providing therapeutic activities, social support and community for young children who have lost a parent and their widowed mothers.
Held from August 16–19 at the Elma Hotel in Zichron Ya’akov, 22 miles from Haifa, Otzmama is designed for orphaned children up to the age of six accompanied by their widowed mothers. The initiative, supported by IDF Widows & Orphans Canada, provides a safe environment for children while their mothers receive therapeutic support, guidance and opportunities to connect with other widowed mothers.
Activities included movement and play therapy, art therapy, creative workshops, swimming, magic and live performances.
Mothers participated in dedicated programming including functional training, yoga, massage stations and evening activities without children. The four-day itinerary also included shared family activities, performances and time at the pool.
Otzmama takes place three times each year, during Pesach, summer and Hanukkah.
Ayelet Hariv, widow of Major (res.) Aviram Hariv said: “We came to a retreat that, on the one hand, gave me quality time with my younger children, without all the demands of having the older children around, and on the other, the IDFWO team helped in every way they could so that we could focus on our connection and on being together, without having to expend so much energy on managing everything and dealing with all the logistics that are always involved.
She added: “One of the things I felt most strongly there was the lack of judgment. There was a sense that everyone understood and was there to lend a hand and give you some breathing room.”
Anat Tagner-Abramovich, director of programme development and coordinator of Otzmama said the camp “gave these mothers and children four days where they could simply be among people who understood what they were living through. This week, we brought together 92 mothers and more than 160 children, including babies just a few months old. For some of these families, we have been alongside them since pregnancy, and that is what this programme represents: being part of their journey from the very beginning.”
Founded in 1991, The IDF Widows & Orphans Organization represents and supports over 18,000 widows, widowers, and orphans nationwide. Since 7 October 2023, its work has expanded significantly, including 364 new widows and widowers, among them 48 pregnant widows, and 912 new orphans.