Hostage Families Find New Paths After Trauma and Release
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Families of hostages and survivors of the October 7th attacks are struggling to return to their previous lives and careers due to profound trauma and life changes. Organizations like "255" and "Elevation" are offering programs to help them find new professional paths and develop essential skills for the modern job market. Participants, including Vicky Cohen and Inbar Goldstein, highlight the inadequacy of state support and the need for workplaces to adapt to their altered realities. The initiative provides vocational rehabilitation and entrepreneurial training, acknowledging that the prolonged crisis has fundamentally reshaped their identities and capabilities.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Families of hostages and survivors face significant challenges reintegrating into work and life after the October 7th trauma.
- The "Your Own Way" program by "255" and "Elevation" offers vocational and entrepreneurial support.
- Vicky Cohen and Inbar Goldstein shared personal struggles with returning to former careers.
- Participants emphasize the need for workplaces to adapt to the lasting effects of the crisis.
- The program aims to equip individuals with new skills for the evolving job market.
- State support is criticized as insufficient for the long-term vocational and health needs of affected families.
Two years after the October 7th attacks, families of hostages and survivors are navigating profound life changes, struggling to reintegrate into their former lives and careers. Vicky Cohen, whose son Nimrod was a soldier taken hostage and later released, described her two-year fight for his return as her primary purpose. Upon his homecoming, she found herself adrift, writing a book titled "A Mother's Journey" to process the experience. Cohen is participating in "Your Own Way," a program by the "255" organization and training company "Elevation," designed to help individuals find new professional directions and equip them with practical tools.
Cohen explained that the trauma of the hostage crisis has fundamentally altered her perspective and that of other affected families. "We are not the same people we were before," she stated, highlighting the need for resources and guidance to re-enter the workforce. She criticized the state for not providing adequate long-term support for the vocational and health challenges faced by these families, noting that state funding often requires supplementation from personal finances.
Inbar Goldstein, who lost her brother and niece and whose sister-in-law and nephews were kidnapped and later released, shared a similar experience. After working in high-profile advertising, she found it impossible to return to her previous career, deeming it superficial compared to the life-or-death struggles her family endured. Goldstein is now co-founding "255" to support other families affected by the crisis, emphasizing that the trauma is ongoing and requires a fundamental shift in how workplaces accommodate survivors.
The "Your Own Way" program offers two tracks: entrepreneurship for survivors and families of fallen hostages, and personal and professional development for families of hostages, focusing on skills for the modern job market, including AI and digital marketing. The initiative, funded externally, aims to provide a professional framework for rebuilding lives and careers, acknowledging that the prolonged focus on the hostage crisis has irrevocably changed participants.
Aliya Kadish, manager at "255," stated that the organization provides a professional infrastructure for families to redefine themselves and build new career paths. Avi Shenir, CEO of "Elevation," added that their program helps individuals remain relevant in a rapidly changing job market, particularly with the rise of AI, and that they have previously assisted reservists and IDF widows and orphans. He stressed the importance of supporting those whose lives were put on hold, emphasizing the need for long-term vocational rehabilitation.
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