I recently returned from a three-day retreat for bereaved parents organized by OneFamily. The setting, a hotel overlooking the Sea of Galilee, offered sweeping views of the mountains and the serene waters; the breathtaking beauty was almost a cruel contrast to the depth of pain carried by the people inside.

On Shabbat evening, the dining room was filled with a few hundred people. To a stranger, it might have looked like a typical weekend getaway. But inside was a shattering truth: Every person there had lost a child — either in war or to acts of terror; all were gathered in sorrow and survival.

The programs included art therapy workshops, inspiring speakers, therapeutic prayer services, and musical performances.

During Friday night services, when a woman sitting beside me learned I worked for OneFamily, her face lit up; she told me her child was murdered 22 years ago and that OneFamily had “saved her life,” words I heard again and again.

I met an artist who hadn’t touched a sketchpad since October 7th, the day her son and his girlfriend were murdered. In the art class, she picked up charcoal and began to draw for the first time since that nightmare — her grief pouring out in black lines and tears. It was painful and beautiful to witness her first tentative steps back into life.

I met a former Egged bus driver whose daughter was killed when a terrorist bombed an Egged bus — his bus company, his second home. He lost not only his child, but his sense of safety, trust, and belonging. He has not worked since.

I met a group of bereaved parents who found each other 19 years ago. Bonded by tragedy, they now lean on each with dark humor, long hugs, and shared understanding. They welcomed the newly bereaved, offering what few others can: a living example that survival is possible, even when the heart is shattered.

One woman I met lost her husband and eldest son on October 7th. Her three surviving children are too deeply traumatized for therapy just yet. So she came to learn how to be their healer, how to carry her family’s brokenness with grace until they are strong enough to carry it themselves.

Among the volunteers was a retired educator, an 80-year-old woman whose daughter survived a bus bombing and whose grandson survived a car-ramming attack, both permanently injured. Now she volunteers for OneFamily, giving back to the organization she says gave her family hope.

Everyone there carried a weight heavier than we could imagine — but gratitude and hope glimmered among the broken pieces. Again and again, people thanked me — for OneFamily and the services that held them up when their world was crumbling.

OneFamily is a lifeline providing emotional, financial, and legal support to victims of war and terror. Our work is essential; it saves lives. Today, thousands of new victims are entering our care. Help us show these shattered families they are never alone.

Go to OneFamilyFundUS.org to learn more.

Naomi Nussbaum is executive director of OneFamily USA.