Life is like a triangle...and like most people, you’re probably running back and forth on the flat horizontal, stuck in your day-to-day.
But it’s time to look upwards, towards something greater than yourself and even your local community.
That something is Israel, the place where your destiny resides.
You can make a lasting impact on the world
Nearly 12,000 young Israeli families including almost 30,000 children and youth have suffered the death of a parent or spouse.
When the one person whose ultimate mission is to shield and protect his/her spouse and children, suddenly and tragically passes away—we call it a shield loss.
A lack of therapeutic intervention and support tools for a family during the initial and ongoing stages of this immense loss can negatively impact how the family functions for years to come.
But unfortunately, the costs of living, school, psychotherapy and after-school activities for children are staggering. The financial gap is significant, and the resources are just not enough to relieve these young families.
"And you shall rejoice in front of the Lord, you and... and the orphan and the widow" (Deuteronomy, 16:14)
Our Mission
Following the death of a parent or spouse, a family’s sense of loss, loneliness, and vulnerability is almost impossible to process and express.
Amitsim provides a space for young widows and widowers and their young children to give voice to their deepest pains and fears, to connect with others who experienced the same trauma, to receive psychological support, and to create a new, healthy normal for their family.
What if you could help rebuild the most sacred place for mankind… the home?
I Want To Help
The conflict of love and exhaustion
Most parents feel this conflict at some point.
But every day, 24/7, 365 days a year, a young widow or widower with children must go at it alone. Their spouse, and lifetime partner, is no longer there to relieve them when they’re too tired to get dinner on the table or read yet another bedtime story. The widow/widower cries out every day of the week,
“I do not want my children to be alone another day. They need me and want to be close to me, and I want to be with them and enjoy them as well. How do I do this?”
For orphaned families, Amitsim centers are like grandma and grandpa’s house, a comfortable place for parents to sit back and relax while their children get lots of attention and special treats.
But it’s even more than that.
What We Provide
Amitsim drop-in centers throughout Israel where orphaned families connect to one another, gain knowledge about their rights and receive compassionate counsel from people that believe in their full potential
Individual counseling and support (online and in-person) for young widows and widowers
Peer communities with frequent get-togethers for widows, widowers, and their children
Therapeutic groups for children using bibliography and videography as therapeutic tools
Post-high school tutors specially trained in mind science, psychology, and pedagogy to reach children on an emotional level and enable them to learn
Learn more about Israel’s Amitsim centers and services
“What I love about coming to Amitsim is that it feels like a family. I sit with other widows and widowers like myself and we just laugh together, you know just have silly fun— and even argue with each other. It’s real.”
-Limor Green, a widow with a 7-year old child
About Us
Amitsim is an Israeli not-for-profit organization founded in 2017 by Hadass Dissen Glick. Following the sudden death of her young husband in 2001, Hadass’s home, once brimming with energy, warmth, and joy, became heavy and oppressive. Her young children struggled with depression and loneliness. And Hadass carried the heavy burden of putting the pieces of her family back together again with almost no financial or emotional support.
She was completely alone.
But she quickly realized that God had given her a new mission in life.
How you can help?
According to the prophets, strengthening young widows and orphans is a part of the redemption process, of returning God's divine presence to the world.
Reintegrating these young families into their communities will not only strengthen their communities at large, but will also reinforce for all the social and Godly values of support for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow—symbols of communal responsibility and solidarity.
When you donate to Amitsim, your money goes directly to fund our centers, programs, and services...and ultimately, the world community.
Show me how I can contribute