From War to Purpose: Shilat Ayyash's Journey

Shilat Ayyash was 33 when she found herself at a crossroads, a few years post-divorce, with four small children at home. "At the time, I was involved in marketing dietary supplements and was very successful," she recalls. "It kept me busy for long hours and yielded nice profits, but in my heart, I wasn't satisfied, because I felt it wasn't what I was meant to do. I was searching for something else and prayed with all my heart to find my occupational calling, because it was clear to me that there had to be work that would give me the satisfaction, the desire to get up in the morning, and the connection to what I'm doing, which I was so lacking in those days."

Heart to Heart with a Lioness

By nature, Shilat is not a person who can rest, and in those days she attended a dedicated course by Dr. Elad Ben Elul, a content creator and lecturer on Chassidut. "Through the course, I managed to come to the understanding that even if I don't feel I'm fulfilling my potential in terms of work, I need to focus on what Hashem wants from me at this moment, and there are so many things that fall into this category, like taking care of the children and the home. I need to connect with those things and understand that this is currently my life’s purpose. I tried to do just that, but alongside it, I also kept asking myself what my true purpose is, and where I strive to go."

During those days, the war erupted, and alongside the great chaos, Shilat experienced a personal transformation. "Two days after the war broke out, an alarm sounded in our community," she says. "I remember rushing with my four kids to the shelter, barely managing to close the window and the door, shaking all over, and suddenly the difficulty of being without a husband, alone with the kids, surfaced. Alongside this, thoughts about those women sending their husbands to the army and coping came to mind."

"At that time, many were engaged in donations and fundraising, but the main focus was on the recruits, whereas their wives were somewhat left aside. Having experienced years of raising a family as a single mother, I felt a strong desire to support the wives of the soldiers. Since I came across a post the day before under the title 'Supporting the Lionesses,' I promptly named the organization I would establish 'The Heart with the Lioness.'"

How did you plan to help them?

"It might be hard to believe, but at that time, I didn't know myself. I just posted a message saying that if someone knows someone whose husband is recruited or a mother whose son is recruited, she should send me a phone number and address, and I will make sure to pamper them. To my great surprise, within the first week, I received a thousand requests, and after four months, we had 6000 names. At that moment, I knew I was leaving my job and all my other activities aside indefinitely, focusing entirely on supporting the wives of the soldiers."

"Of course, it was clear to me that I needed a circle of volunteers, so I spread additional messages calling for women who wanted to contribute, to join the initiative and prepare packages. Other women with cars were invited to collect the deliveries and transport them to various places around the country. I also took it upon myself to transport deliveries to different locations, based on the addresses given to me. I traveled across the country, with a car full of packages, going door-to-door, knocking and saying, 'Hello, are you a soldier's wife? We came to bring you joy,' and handing her a package. I reached women who were in the middle of bathing children or amidst noise and chaos, after not seeing their husbands for a month or more, and when they encountered me, they simply burst into tears. It wasn't the warm yeast roll I brought, but the feeling that someone was with them and thinking about them. It was everything to them."

"Meanwhile, more and more donations arrived, and of course, I used them for the lionesses. For instance, we received a donation of thousands of bracelets engraved with 'Lioness,' games for children, cosmetic packages, and other treats. In parallel, I organized events for hundreds of women across the country, with performances by singers and lecturers, famous artists, challah separations, visits to the Western Wall tunnels, and more, with hundreds of women participating in each event. Since all the performers volunteered and local authorities donated the halls, the women received truly worthwhile performances for free, and thank Hashem, we had great assistance from above."

"There were events where we especially invested, and before the event, we approached the enlisted soldiers and requested that they send us a short video showing them sending greetings to the family. We screened these videos, and each time screams and cries were heard in the hall, seeing their husbands who they hadn't seen for a month, two, or three, hearing them send greetings and thank them from afar for keeping the house, the children, and the family. Words cannot describe the power and strength it gave them."

In the next stage, Shilat began organizing vacations for the wives of soldiers. "I organized vacations that included lots of fascinating programs that provided strength because I wanted to give them not only relaxation but also empowerment and content. Again, the cost was minimal because I received the performances and gifts as donations, and the only expenses were for the hotel and food. We also organized couples' retreats, and couples later told us that it was an opportunity for them to sit calmly and talk, after more than a year of not doing so."

From Volunteering to Mission

And what about your work during that time?

"I stopped working in dietary supplement marketing, and for a year, I was engaged solely in the 'The Heart with the Lioness' activity, all done voluntarily. I felt it was the most correct thing for me, from understanding with the perspective of time, that several months without work would not significantly impact my life."

"Yet at a certain point, after organizing so many events, I suddenly realized this is exactly what I want to do in life. I love organizing programs and retreats so much and see it as a huge mission–to offer holidays with value and content. In those days, donations decreased, and I then had more time. I used it to gradually return to work, this time in event production, feeling that I found my mission."

Today, Shilat is involved in producing events for women and couples' retreats, with all her offered programs sharing content, self-discovery, and gaining numerous and important values, in addition to the refreshing vacation itself.

"I feel that through my initial giving, which I truly did out of a desire to give, I was privileged to find myself and discover the field suitable for me," she explains. "The Creator simply guided me in the most precise way. Because who among us, in any family situation, does not need empowerment and strength? From this point, I operate today, and I don’t forget, when there are extra tickets, to invite wives of reservists who still need support, sometimes even more than before, and I pray that I will always continue to find the strength within myself."