May 14, 2025

Supporting Reservists 19 Months Later

With the recent increase of IDF troops called to active duty, Federation funding continues to provide critical support to reservists and their families. Jewish Federations of North America, together with individual federations including Miami, have allocated more than $47 million to support 54 organizations addressing reservists’ escalating needs. Seventy percent of the 13,500 soldiers wounded in the current war are reservists, who are 30 percent more likely to develop severe PTSD. Nir, who spent four months fighting in Gaza, shared, “Going back to normal life was very hard.” With the help of Federation-supported mental health programming, Nir affirmed, “My fellow soldiers and I could start to pick up the pieces and talk about our feelings … letting go of our emotional baggage before returning to our families.” To date, up to 350,000 IDF reservists are serving or have served since October 7.