Youth Futures: There When Needed Most

On October 7, 2023, Yoav, 11, was with his mother, Hadar, visiting family in Moshav Yachini in Israel. They were woken early when rockets started being fired, shortly followed by them realizing that terrorists had entered the moshav.

Hadar’s nephew, Yoav’s cousin, was shot by terrorists, and though they tried to slow the blood flow while waiting for help, help did not arrive in time and they witnessed his final breaths. They were then trapped with his body for 30 hours until they could be evacuated to safety. Knowing Yoav would need support after the nightmarish events of October 7, Hadar reached out to Gali, her son’s Youth Future mentor.

Founded in 2006, The Jewish Agency’s Youth Futures program partners mentors with at-risk children to help give these kids the tools to navigate challenges and succeed. Mentors work with the whole family, touching thousands of lives, providing assistance and guidance to access social services, manage their budgets, be more effective caregivers, and build emotionally supportive environments for their families.

“Gali really knows Yoav and immediately knew what to do so Yoav would get help for the horrors he witnessed on October 7th,” shared Hadar. “I don’t know if I would’ve managed without her. Now I appreciate even more how vital Youth Futures is to us and our lives.”