A special Sukkot event organized by OneFamily brought together bereaved families from across Israel for a day of connection, comfort, and community.

The initiative began with a simple suggestion from donors based in New York. “We’re gonna be in Israel over Sukkot, why don’t we do something nice and bring together families… we can talk to them and make them feel good and tell them that, you know, we’re thinking of them,” explained Chantal Belzberg, Founder and CEO of OneFamily. What started as a modest idea soon grew into a large-scale gathering with numerous activities, drawing families who have suffered profound loss.

Among the participants were orphans, widows, and children who lost siblings or parents to terror and war. “It’s an opportunity for them to get together,” said Chantal Belzberg.

Marc Belzberg, Chairman of the OneFamily Board of Directors, described the organization’s mission as creating new communities. “OneFamily, it’s because you’re creating new families for all those people who lost somebody in their family and now they have a new family of friends… who support each other,” he said, citing words once shared by Rabbi Lau.

Hazel Brief, whose son SFC Yona Brief succumbed to his wounds sustained during the October 7th Massacre after fighting for his life for over a year, expressed the sense of belonging the event provided. “It’s the place that understands the complexity that we live with, with the tragedy and the sadness and the grief and the loss and the longing. We feel normal here,” she shared.

Supporters who came from abroad were deeply moved by the event. “To see smiles on all these people’s faces and then hearing their individual stories, it just makes me understand the greatness of OneFamily,” said Ronnie Stern from New Jersey. “God should bless them… It’s amazing.”

Daniel Feinberg, a supporter from Florida, emphasized the privilege of taking part. “We’re very proud and grateful to be able to help sponsor this event… to spread joy among victims of terror,” he said.

Hazel Brief added, “One of the things we learned from our dear Yona is to always have a passion for life and for living… even when it’s very hard, we still love life.”

Chantal Belzberg reflected on the unique mix of people the event brought together. “It’s an opportunity to bring everybody together and to have everybody help each other and to have people understand that they’re not alone,” she said.

When asked what gives her strength, Hazel Brief responded, “Of course our family and our kids and our grandkids, the soldiers give us a lot of strength… seeing Mark and Chantal and all they’ve done… they give so much to everybody.”

The OneFamily Sukkot event stood as a powerful testament to resilience, community, and the enduring spirit of Am Yisrael.