Over 300,000 miluimnikim – men and women serving in the IDF reserves – have been called up to fight the war against Hamas after the barbaric attack on October 7 in which over 1,300 civilians were slaughtered, over 200 taken hostage, and thousands wounded. Hordes of terrorists crossed the border into southern Israel and committed the largest massacre of Jews in one day since the Holocaust. The IDF response, dubbed Swords of Iron, is considered an existential war.
Since the call-up, tens of thousands of women – wives and partners of army reservists – have been left to run households on their own. In many cases, the families are large; some women had to leave their jobs or at least cut down on their working hours to care for their children. In other cases, the women suddenly had to worry about making ends meet because their husbands’ businesses were suffering from a lack of manpower. Everything was suddenly on their shoulders.
Whatever the case for each individual woman whose spouse has gone to fight, they are all facing an unprecedented situation, especially considering that this war could last for months. At this point, no one knows where it will lead, with the possibility of an escalation in the North and in Judea and Samaria, not to mention the threat from Yemen.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in several statements, has praised the brave IDF soldiers who are “defending our home.” Similarly, their wives, who were left at home to pick up the pieces, are courageous, as well as determined to help win this war. Just as the IDF is defending “our home,” these women are defending their individual homes while facing extraordinary challenges.
Shira Brown is a native of Detroit, Michigan, who made aliyah 10 years ago. Recognizing the pressing need for mental and physical support among soldiers’ wives during times of war, she launched the Sheroes Project.
Helping a group of unsung heroes
“At the heart of our communities, a group of unsung heroes thrives – the sheroes, the backbone of our armed forces. These remarkable women, spouses of our brave soldiers, navigate a challenging world, balancing family, careers, and offering unwavering support to partners in the army,” Brown said in an interview with In Jerusalem.
“Sheroes don invisible uniforms, embodying the essence of the home front – the spouses, wives, mothers, and partners of reservists summoned on Simchat Torah to safeguard our homeland,” she stated on social media.
“Our inaugural project involved crafting care packages with pajamas, fuzzy socks, and a cookie-making kit. Collaboration with Tamnoon, an Israeli clothing store, generous co-sponsorship of pajamas, alongside donations from family, friends, and Jewish communities abroad, made these packages possible,” she told In Jerusalem.
The packages go to families of reservists serving in combat units. They are hand-delivered by volunteers to save on shipping costs.
BROWN, A shero herself, and her husband, Menachem, are the parents of a four-year-old boy and an 11-month-old girl. Describing her own situation and what inspired her to launch the project, she said: “My husband currently serves on the Gaza border and goes in and out for missions, sometimes for hours, sometimes for days. Our whole family is affected by the situation; we are all more stressed. My son asks about his abba [daddy] every day, many times a day. Each time, his questions get deeper. ‘Why is there a war? Why does the army need him? Does he want to come home or be there?’
“After my husband was called up on Simchat Torah late in the evening, I was scrambling around my parents’ house looking for flashlights, equipment, and anything that I could send with him. I also baked a ton.
“But as soon as he said goodbye and left, it was quiet and lonely. I thought to myself, ‘I give support to my husband, I have a career to take care of, I have an amazing family to care for, but who has my back now?’ And I realized that all the soldiers’ wives are in the same boat. I was still in ‘freeze’ mode, shock, for about two weeks after the war started. I was scared. I wasn’t sleeping so well and was scrolling on social media and the news non-stop.
“One day, my husband came home for a 24-hour visit, and I inquired about everyone’s well-being and spirits. He shared with me the challenging situation of his friend, whose pregnant wife is grappling with hyperemesis gravidarum [extreme, persistent nausea and vomiting during pregnancy that can lead to dehydration, weight loss, and electrolyte imbalances].
“Taking care of her children and herself is a constant struggle, as she frequently requires hospitalization for IV fluids and nutrients to ensure her and her baby’s health. Hearing this saddened me deeply,” Brown continued.
“Then and there, I said ‘Yalla, let’s show her that she’s not alone,’ and the Sheroes Project was born. Without hesitation, I sent a care package to her. I made a phone call to inquire about her needs, and promptly addressed them. Following that, I initiated a fundraising campaign through social media, reaching out to friends and family. In no time, we raised enough funds to assemble 96 care packages. Each contained a ready-to-bake cookie mix, a pajama set, and fuzzy socks. I sent these packages to Menachem’s entire unit, and every soldier brought his package home on his day off,” she recounted.
She also sent 60 packages to women in the same predicament in her community of Sde Ilan in northern Israel.
Brown added that the “feedback was amazing. Everyone was so grateful and elated.”
One recipient said, “It felt like a hug.” Another said that she was having an extremely hard time, and that this gift and show of concern were exactly what was able to help her lift her spirits.
RACHEL HOCHMAN BRAND, 25, has been on her own with an infant daughter for the past two months. Her husband, Eli Brand, is serving in the Northern Gaza Brigade, which is in control of the recently discovered massive Hamas tunnel.
Hochman Brand, a native of Toronto, made aliyah on her own nine years ago. She served as a lone soldier – an IDF soldier with no close family in Israel – from 2017 to 2019. Her husband, who grew up in Passaic, New Jersey, was also a lone soldier, in 2016-2018. The couple met during the coronavirus pandemic on the Jewish dating and matchmaking site SawYouatSinai, and they have been married for three years.
They were vacationing in Canada during Sukkot, which culminates with Simchat Torah, the day that Hamas infiltrated southern Israel. Eli, a reservist, was called up, and the family returned to Israel.
Hochman Brand received a Sheroes care package. “It was very beautiful. Being an olah [new immigrant] with no immediate family here, it’s been very difficult being alone with a new baby,” she told In Jerusalem.
“But there’s a definite feeling of resilience in Israel and of caring for one another,” she said. “Wherever we go, people ask if we need meals or somewhere to go for Shabbat, which has been very, very sweet, and you feel sort of taken care of.”
Shira Brown’s next project is already in the works. “Our next initiative is to curate and dispatch game night packages, featuring a family-friendly game, refreshments, and a special treat for the shero herself – perhaps a gift card for a breakfast for two during her spouse’s brief break or a spa day gift card,” Brown said. Already, NIS 2,000 has been raised; the goal is NIS 8,000.
With so many thousands of women in the country struggling to get through these difficult times, Brown said she hopes to expand the project and reach thousands more, across the country.
“I’m not stopping,” she said. “These little gestures mean the world to our sheroes. Let’s support them in every conceivable way.” ❖
To learn more, visit shirabrown.com/sheroes.