Israeli Bereaved Families Organization Expands Support to U.S. Families of Fallen Soldiers

David Lubin, father of Border Police fighter Rose Lubin who was killed in a stabbing attack in Jerusalem in November 2023, is launching the first North American branch of the Israeli bereaved families organization "Yad LaBanim." The initiative, set to officially begin this fall, aims to provide psychological and social support to approximately 1,100 bereaved family members of Israeli fallen soldiers and security forces residing in the United States. Many of these families lost loved ones in recent years, including over 50 foreign-born lone soldiers who served in the IDF without close family in Israel during the "Iron Swords" war.

Rose Lubin, 20 at her death, had immigrated from her family home in Atlanta to serve as a lone soldier in the Border Police. Weeks before her death near the Jerusalem police station "Shalem," she fought in the Gaza border area. David Lubin emphasized the cultural difference in support systems, noting that while such organizations are ingrained in Israeli society, American families lacked similar community infrastructure until now.

The American branch will adapt to the continent's vast geography by organizing extended retreats and regional workshops rather than local clubs, dividing activities across the U.S. Southeast, West Coast, and Northeast. This structure will help families separated by large distances to connect and share their grief. The project is backed by the Israeli Ministry of Defense, the main Yad LaBanim organization in Israel, Friends of the IDF in the U.S., and local philanthropic donors. It will also collaborate with Jewish community institutions such as federations and community centers.

Lubin, a businessman who also ran for Georgia State Senate in 2024, was motivated to act after witnessing the lack of support for bereaved families in the U.S. following his daughter's funeral. Though the full launch is planned for fall, three bereaved families have already joined the program. Lubin described the effort as building an organization he hopes will eventually no longer be needed.