What Real Care Looks Like: Reflections from Our Veterans Day Fundraiser for Rising Heroes

This past Veterans Day, I had the privilege of hosting a fundraiser in my home for Rising Heroes, an organization that supports Israeli soldiers and veterans who carry home the invisible wounds of service. It felt especially fitting to have this get together on that day, a day meant to honor courage and sacrifice, and to expand that idea of honor beyond the battlefield, into the quieter work of helping soldiers heal.

I’m deeply grateful to the dedicated committee members who helped bring the evening together: Rachel and Daniel Frogel, Yoetzet Lisa and Rabbi Yehuda Septimus, Gila and Shmuli Fischman, Karen and Simcha Hermann, Shani and Tani Sussman, Shira and Ari Hoschander and Shani and Gavri Butler whose passion, organization and heart made it such a successful night.

I first learned about Rising Heroes through my friend, Rachel Frogel. I was so impressed and moved by their work helping combat soldiers and veterans process trauma and build resilience. What struck me immediately was how different their approach felt from so much of what we have been seeing out there. Their programs are intimate, grounded, private and deeply respectful. There’s no fanfare and no saviorism, just human beings sitting with one another in honesty, pain and recovery.

As a mental health professional, this resonates with me on a profound level. Not too long ago, I shared here about how care in our culture can too easily become a commodity, something to perform, to purchase or to measure, instead of something offered through presence and relationship. I shared my discomfort with how we often show “care” to those who’ve suffered, including the hostages who returned from captivity, in ways that, though well-intentioned, can miss the deeper needs for attunement, safety and dignity.

Rising Heroes gets this right. Their work isn’t about managing trauma; it’s about transforming it. Through carefully designed retreats, psychoeducation courses, and body-based therapies, they help soldiers decompress, process and reconnect with themselves and their communities. The goal isn’t just to prevent PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), it’s to build post-traumatic growth: the strength, clarity and meaning that can emerge when healing is done in the right environment.

We were honored to hear from two extraordinary speakers whose stories brought this mission to life.

Ella Mor, a mother, homeopath and tireless advocate, shared her personal story from October 7th. She spoke of the unimaginable loss of her brother and sister in law and of her three-year-old niece, Abigail, who was held hostage in Gaza for 51 days. Ella was on the phone with Abigail’s older brother and sister, Michael and Amalia as they hid in a closet during the attack, guiding them through those horrifying moments. She shared that, after October 7th, she could have easily collapsed under the weight of that grief but instead, she chose to fight. She chose to create meaning and purpose from her pain. Today, she travels the world speaking for the hostages and their families, standing up for the victims of October 7th, and fighting antisemitism wherever it appears. Her courage is a living example of what it means to turn trauma into strength.

We also heard from Ronny Novick, a former IDF soldier who shared his experiences serving as a sniper in Gaza and how he has personally benefited from the support of Rising Heroes. Ronny spoke about the lasting impact of combat, about the friends he served with who didn’t have access to the kind of care that Rising Heroes provides and about how crucial this kind of trauma-informed support is for soldiers both during and after their service. His honesty and vulnerability reminded all of us that even the strongest among us need care, community and understanding.

What stands out most to me about Rising Heroes is how personal and private their work is. Healing here isn’t a spectacle, it’s something sacred. These retreats give soldiers space to breathe, to talk, to cry or to sit in silence if they need to. Through movement, mindfulness and connection, they begin to restore a sense of control that trauma often steals.

For me, this organization embodies the kind of care I want to see more of in the world. Care that isn’t transactional or performative, but grounded in integrity, presence and shared humanity.

I encourage you all to take a few minutes to learn about Rising Heroes and the work they’re doing to transform trauma into strength. Their impact depends on community support, on people like us who believe that those heroes who serve and put their lives on the line to protect us (outside of Israel too) deserve not just to survive, but to heal and thrive.

To learn more or contribute, visit rising-heroes.org. Your support makes this essential, life-changing work possible.