Nearly 200 Israeli war widows and children embark on historic healing journey in the US

During their week in Orlando, the families will take part in trauma-informed counseling, group healing workshops, and moments of joy, including trips to Disney World.

By Jewish Breaking News

Nearly 200 widows and their children, making up families who lost loved ones on October 7 and in the ongoing war, have traveled from Israel to Orlando, Florida, for what organizers are calling a historic and unprecedented healing mission.

The journey is led by Rabbi Mendy Kenig, founder of Menucha V’Yeshua, an organization devoted to restoring emotional strength and spiritual resilience to bereaved families of Israel’s fallen.

This mission is the largest of its kind, offering women and children who have endured devastating loss a week of rest, renewal, and community support.

During their week in Orlando, the families will take part in trauma-informed counseling, group healing workshops, and moments of joy, including trips to Disney World, providing the children a rare chance to laugh and simply be children again.

The mission will then continue to a special Shabbat retreat hosted in Deal, New Jersey.

Among the participants is Sarit Elkouby, widow of Lt. Col. Netanel “Nati” Elkouby HY”D—a devoted husband, father, and widely respected battalion commander from Haifa.

Elkouby, 36, served as commander of the 630th Reserve Battalion. He was among the first to mobilize on October 7, leading his soldiers in relentless combat operations in Gaza for four months.

On February 12, 2024, the very day he was to return home from his second deployment in Gaza, he entered a building rigged with booby-trapped explosives together with Major (res.) Yair Cohen and Sergeant First Class (res.) Ziv Chen.

The structure exploded, killing all three instantly.

In a conversation with JBN Correspondent Rabbi Josh Broide, Sarit spoke of her husband’s legacy:

“Netanel’s name means ‘God gave,’ and that’s truly who he was. He gave to everyone his time, his strength, and his heart. In the end, he gave his life for Israel.”

She also described the last time he left their home:

“He stood at the door, and I told him how much we needed him. He couldn’t meet my eyes. I had a feeling—a sixth sense—that he might not come back.”

The origin of this mission traces back to a moment of crisis in Rabbi Kenig’s own life.

Years ago, he boarded a flight to Hungary to visit the gravesite of the righteous Rabbi Yeshaya of Kerestir. As the plane began taxiing on the runway, he received a call no one is prepared for: his wife had been critically injured in a serious car accident.

He begged the flight attendants to direct the pilot to stop the plane and let him off but that was against policy and he was left helpless and unable to leave the plane and had spent the flight suspended between fear and prayer.

During a layover, after learning her condition was serious but stable, he called his rabbi for guidance. He was told to continue to the holy site, to pray with all his heart, and to make a vow.

There, through tears, he promised that if his wife recovered, he would dedicate his life to helping families in crisis.

She did recover, but the healing journey was long. When she was finally discharged from the hospital, the pressure of returning home and preparing for Shabbat felt overwhelming.

In a moment of instinct, he suggested they go to a hotel instead. There, removed from daily stress, she felt calm—perhaps for the first time since the accident.

It was then that he understood: medical care alone cannot heal trauma. People also need Menucha (rest) and Yeshua (relief and renewal).

From that realization, Menucha V’Yeshua was born.

Since its founding, the organization has supported hundreds of families facing loss, trauma, and grief, guiding them toward emotional and spiritual restoration with a respite that includes guest speakers, entertainers, and fun for the kids.

This week’s mission, when nearly 200 widows and children find comfort, connection, and strength together, is the living fulfillment of that promise.

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