About Us

”Be my friend, be my brother” (Heye li haver, heye li ach – Dudu Tasa, singer)

Our Brothers was established in 2017 by a group of bereaved siblings and volunteers, out of a desire to create a safe niche and place of belonging, a space and outlet for bereaved brothers and sisters representing all of Israeli society, be they Jews or non-Jews, religious, secular or ultra-Orthodox, who have lost a sibling at any time, from the War of Independence until today.

Our Brothers has two aims:

The first aim of the organization is to build a strong, supportive community for bereaved siblings; for the first time to provide a space for them, and give a voice to their pain, their struggle, and their unique story. Sibling communities exist throughout the country. They hold meetups, workshops, and offer special channels to keep the memories alive.

Secondly, we aim to preserve the memory in increasingly wider circles and create a space to share our stories of our fallen siblings –  about who they were, to recount shared moments together, and of our daily attempts to cope with their absence –  all through the eyes of their brothers and sisters.

Each year during the week of Memorial Day (Yom HaZikaron), hundreds of intimate meetups take place throughout the country, where families, and educational and community institutions host bereaved brothers and sisters who relate their stories – that of their brother or sister: tales of immense longing, hope, how they grapple with their absence, but most of all, an account of love for their homeland.

We feel that the discourse surrounding bereavement in Israel opens the pathway to an exceptional meeting platform where perceptions, population sectors, religions, and ethnicities cross paths, creating a solid foundation for fostering unity in Israeli society. We believe that the stories of IDF and security force fatalities, and victims of hostilities, constitute a valuable and moral compass that instills hope, faith, a sense of identity, and a shared destiny among the country’s citizens.

To date, most bereaved parents are over the age of 75 (*according to research on aging by the Meyers-JDC-Brookdale Institute). This information has reinforced the understanding that it is our responsibility as the siblings to be involved in commemorating and continuing the legacy of our brothers and sisters, the fallen. Unfortunately, no one in Israeli society can say that they don’t know anyone who has fallen during the course of their military service or as a result of hostilities. At the same time, many people seek a connection with the Memorial Day (Yom HaZikaron) and those who fell. From the viewpoint that the fallen are the brothers of each and every member of Israeli society, as well as our own, we founded Our Brothers, so that we could perpetuate their story, preserve the echo of their memory, and never forget.