Sisterhood in Unlikely Places: A Heartwarming Initiative

Some stories seem as though they couldn’t come into being under any other circumstances. The impossible situations we faced this past year brought them to life.

Imagine a young woman whose husband is called for extended reserve duty. All household responsibilities, livelihood, and child-rearing suddenly rest on her shoulders. During those toughest moments, angels arrive in the form of volunteer women, offering not just physical help, but more importantly, emotional support. They come from a completely different background, with nothing in common with this young reserve wife.

Behind this incredible initiative stands "Iron Sisters," an organization founded by Hana Eiram from Jerusalem, a married mother of five who champions the value of giving. Eiram, typically involved with at-risk youth, found herself amidst the war taking on another crucial mission: connecting women from various sectors, believing that as sisters, we can overcome any challenge.

A "Sister to Sister" Initiative

"As soon as the war broke out, I joined forces with a group of ultra-Orthodox women who had been involved in entrepreneurship for years," Eiram shares. "Together, we aimed to take on vital initiatives. With some friends, we decided to open a hub to mobilize ultra-Orthodox volunteers to help 'sister to sister.' From the outset, it was clear this would be our motto, as women feel most comfortable volunteering directly for one another. We named our hub 'Iron Sisters' and began a massive recruitment, soon gathering 1,400 ultra-Orthodox volunteers ready for any task."

Initially, tasks mostly involved cooking and preparing meals for those in need, as this was the primary demand. But as time went on, the hub decided to focus directly on the families of those deployed.

"At that time," Eiram recounts, "we began receiving support and donations from organizations in the New York Federation, and later from 'Brothers to the Homefront,' established to back ultra-Orthodox organizations assisting on the home front. This allowed us to move into an office and work in an organized manner.

"Our strategy was clear – to zero in on the wives of those deployed, even though in the early days of the war, we didn’t fully understand the scope of their needs. We couldn’t even imagine women going over a year without a single Shabbat with their husbands at home or going months without seeing them. Not to mention the constant worry while their husbands fight on enemy soil.

"But truthfully, our activities have remained unchanged – we assign a volunteer to the wife of a soldier, and this volunteer becomes her 'regular sister,' visiting weekly with a hot meal, helping with children, or tidying up. Most naturally, our volunteers are ultra-Orthodox women, while the wives of those deployed usually are not, leading to unique and beautiful connections."

Eiram highlights that throughout their journey, they consulted with several rabbis who stressed the importance of "lowering levels of hatred," emphasizing the great value in unity and creating initiatives for people from different sectors, which greatly encouraged us," she explains.

Moved to Tears

The project, as it turns out, is national and widespread. "Currently, we have about 3,500 volunteers across the country," Eiram reports, "and in the past year we have assisted 4,000 families. Yet the intriguing part is that even now, with many deployed having been released, the need remains just as critical. We've discovered the situation for those still in the reserves is even more dire, as a year and two months is an extraordinarily long time to cope with in many areas. These days, we encounter women who initially claimed they didn’t need help but now reach out because the challenges are genuinely significant. That's why we always need more and more volunteers."

Is there tension between the women and volunteers due to differing views?

"Like everyone else, I occasionally hear about tensions and harsh words," Eiram responds candidly. "But generally, between a volunteer and a woman, something different happens because the volunteer comes to assist, creating an opportunity for connection, not division. Personally, I’m continuously moved by the bonds formed. One story involved a woman from Elad, a mother of seven, who volunteered for a reservist's family in Rosh Haayin – a Russian family with two small children who had never encountered an ultra-Orthodox family. Our volunteer would bring lunch every week and help with the children. When the husband was discharged on the eve of Simchat Torah, they called to ask if they could visit to deliver a gift. This led them to a kosher store to buy chocolates for her family, traveling specially to Elad and bringing joy just by witnessing the children playing in the sukkah, while the woman cooks. It’s a connection that couldn't have formed any other way.

"In another instance, a single volunteer from Bnei Brak worked with a family from Ramat Gan, far from their heritage. Professionally a kindergarten teacher, she helped with their kids, visiting weekly. A special bond grew, and the children grew fond of her.

"After a while, the parents surprised her. They shared that the husband was discharged, and they planned to go away and asked, 'Can the kids stay overnight with you? We trust only you.' We have many heartwarming stories like these, hearing from both sides about the beneficial and uplifting relationships. Many women desire to do good through heartfelt connections, not in the traditional sense of 'teaching laws' or 'blessing the challah,' but by simply reflecting who we are, spreading light, and allowing others to see and know us."

Yes, Eiram admits she feels changed since starting this work. "I walk through the world feeling my heart holds two rooms," she describes, "One filled with the pain and heavy burden our 'sister' reserve wives endure, and the other filled with deep respect for the righteous women, many with large families and full-time jobs, who choose to dedicate hours each week to assist someone entirely outside their community, simply because that person needs them. I find myself tearing up often – when I hear of a collapsing reserve wife, and then of another woman, just two and a half weeks post-birth, offering help, deeply feeling how special our Jewish people are, hoping this spirit continues always and everywhere."