Changing the way we see our obligation to families of
Young Widows and Orphans
“Father of Orphans, Advocate of Widows, is God in His Holy Dwelling Home.”
(Psalms 68:6)
About 17,000
young Israeli families
and 30,000 children
have suffered the death
of a spouse or parent.
What Makes Us Unique
We don't just support widowed parents or orphaned children.
We strengthen the family they share.
Amitsim's pioneering approach to holistic family restoration recognizes that helping a widowed parent or orphaned child individually is not enough. The key to rebuilding their lives lies in strengthening the family as a whole, with the surviving parent at its center. When a parent dies, children may lose not only a beloved mother or father, but also their sense of safety and protection. At the same time, their surviving parent is confronting profound grief and overwhelming new responsibilities. We call this the Loss of Protection phenomenon. Our approach focuses on restoring the surviving parent's confidence and leadership, strengthening the parent-child relationship, and rebuilding the sense of security and stability within the family. As parents regain their strength, their children regain confidence in the family and the future they share. Amitsim also creates a community of belonging, bringing together widowed parents and orphaned children from every sector of Israeli society. Through shared experiences and meaningful connections, families discover that they are not alone and that they belong to a community where little needs to be explained. Beyond direct family support, we advocate for the recognition, rights, and dignity of widowed families, working to ensure that Israeli society and its institutions recognize and protect the family that remains. Because strengthening widowed families means strengthening Israeli society itself.
Who We Serve
Widowhood and orphanhood do not discriminate.
Neither do we.
Across Israel, approximately 17,000 widowed parents are raising 30,000 orphaned children. They live in major cities, small towns, kibbutzim, and remote communities. They come from religious and secular backgrounds, from every culture, profession, and walk of life. Some families have lost a parent suddenly, through an accident or an unexpected medical event. Others have endured the long and painful journey of illness. Some have lost a parent through war or acts of terror. Their circumstances may be different, but their needs and challenges share much in common.For a widowed parent raising young children, grief cannot be separated from the everyday responsibilities of family life. Meals must still be prepared. Children need to get to school. Birthdays must still be celebrated. Questions must be answered, fears reassured, and decisions made — often by a parent who is simultaneously confronting an enormous personal loss. For the children, the challenge is not only coming to terms with the absence of a beloved mother or father. It is rediscovering a sense of safety, continuity, and confidence in the family that remains. Amitsim focuses particularly on young widows and widowers raising dependent children, from infancy through adolescence, recognizing the unique demands of parenting in widowhood. We believe that every orphaned child deserves the same recognition, protection, and opportunities, regardless of how their parent died. Every surviving parent deserves to be recognized and respected as the head of their family, with the rights, resources, and support needed to raise their children with dignity and confidence. We see these families not as families defined by what they have lost, but as families with lives still to live, dreams still to pursue, and futures still to build. And we are here to stand beside them, every step of the way.
Policy Change & Advocacy
Supporting widowed families requires more than meaningful programs. It also requires changing the systems and institutions that shape their everyday lives.
Today, many widowed parents raising orphaned children encounter bureaucratic obstacles, inadequate recognition, and policies that fail to reflect the reality of their families. Amitsim works with members of the Knesset, government ministries, local authorities, and civil society organizations to bring about lasting change. Our advocacy focuses on establishing formal recognition of widowed parents raising orphaned children as a distinct family population, strengthening the legal standing of the surviving parent, protecting the rights of orphaned children, and making government services more responsive to family needs. We believe that these rights must belong to the living family. The surviving parent's role, responsibilities, and legal standing should be recognized in their own right, rather than remaining administratively dependent on the deceased parent. Our goal is not simply to make existing systems more compassionate. It is to ensure that Israel's laws and institutions recognize the family that remains and protect its future. Because every orphaned child deserves equal protection, and every widowed parent deserves the recognition and support needed to raise their family with dignity and confidence.
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 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, services… and ultimately, the world.
