Living With Loss: The Silent Struggle of IDF Bereaved Partners
Three bereaved partners of fallen IDF soldiers share their ongoing struggles with societal recognition, grief, and finding support through the organization Hatif Aharav Haveret.
Three young women, Amit, Eliora, and Osnat, continue to live their lives while carrying the profound grief of losing their partners in the ongoing war. Their loved ones remain present in daily memories, personal belongings, and shattered future plans. Beyond the immense personal loss, all three share a common struggle: the feeling that society still fails to fully understand what it means to be a bereaved partner.
Amit Shostak and Staff Sergeant Elad Sasson met in high school, but their romantic relationship blossomed shortly before their military service. Five months before he fell in combat, they officially became a couple. Elad fell on October 7 during the battle at the Kissufim outpost. "I miss him every passing day, I will always love him," Amit says, describing how he accompanies her through music, cooking, and quiet reflections.
The Struggle for Social Recognition
Because bereaved partners are often not legally family, society frequently offers less recognition and legitimacy to their pain. There is a constant expectation to move on and fully heal, a misconception that deepens their isolation even years after the tragedy.
Eliora Rosenfeld met her partner, Sergeant First Class Hillel Shmuel Sadon, by chance on a train. Hillel fell on October 7 during the combat at the Sufa outpost, leaving behind very few belongings after his room was consumed by fire. "At night when I close my eyes, I see his face and hear his laughter," she says. "He was my safe space, and a whole future was stolen from us."
"It is not just losing your best friend and your safest place, it is also losing the future, all the shared dreams and plans that were abruptly taken away." - Eliora Rosenfeld
Ongoing Grief and Support Networks
For Osnat Leibovitz, the war broke out precisely as her relationship with Sergeant First Class Brahnu Kasie was evolving. Brahnu fell in December 2023 during operational activity in Khan Yunis. Three years on, the pain remains as raw as the first day.
Amit, Eliora, and Osnat are among 412 bereaved partners of IDF soldiers and security forces who have joined the circle of grief since October 7. The "Hatif Aharav Haveret" association provides them with personalized support, holistic therapeutic frameworks, and a warm, embracing community that understands the coexistence of grief and ongoing life.
