Seeing the pain beyond the headlines

People take cover in their shelter as sirens warn of incoming missile fired from Iran, in central Israel, March 4. 2026. (Chen Leopold/Flash90)

For two and a half years, Israel has been in a constant state of war on multiple fronts, with varying degrees of intensity. Even when we were supposedly in a period of “ceasefire” on one front, we were still fighting on others. Often, it seemed to us that while the media focused on the falling missiles, the day-to-day hardship that so many Israelis endured was ignored.  

One of the goals of JUF’s Israel Office is to bridge the gap between Chicagoans and Israelis. Often, it is hard do that when our experiences and our conversations are so different. 

Here, then, are five topics that have been top of mind for us the past 18 months that not all may be aware of: 

1. Over 350,000 Israelis were called to reserve duty over the past two and a half years. Some served as many as 700 days—just shy of two years—and even those who served “only” two or three months did so at a risk to their own lives—while leaving behind spouses, children, jobs, and/or university studies. Close to 1,000 reservists lost their lives in the war. Over a third of them are married with children. Half of them have reported marital issues since their return. For salaried employees, the economic cost of going to war was very high; it sometimes cost them their job altogether. Reserve duty has also exacerbated pre-existing inequities and tensions between those who serve in the IDF and those who chose not to.  

2. More than 6,000 Israelis have lost their homes since the start of the latest round of fighting with Iran. Even leaving aside the prevented explosion, the falling debris of an intercepted ballistic missile with a half-ton warhead can crush a house. The government covers basic repair costs, but most impacted will be living in hotels or makeshift homes for months, or even years. The hardship is especially tough for senior citizens and families with children displaced from their homes and their belongings. 

3. Thousands of small businesses—even those not run by reservists—have gone under as the economy shrinks and everyone spends less. For small business owners, being away for months often meant bankruptcy. Entire regions in Israel’s north and south have become too dangerous to visit, driving local businesses into the ground. The tourism industry has been especially hard hit, as we’ve gone from three million visitors a year to almost zero. Tourism accounts for 60% of the business in the north. Its loss translates into empty hotels, restaurants, and sites… and of course idle waiters, tour guides, bus drivers, and many others. 

4. Schools have been closed for two months. Not only is this detriment to learning substantial, but it comes on the heels of COVID and war-related closures over the preceding two and a half years. An entire generation of teens have lost years of schooling, impacting their matriculation exam performance, university admission, and more. Then there is the negative effect on social skills, as children stay home for long stretches of time. Social isolation has further compounded the emotional fragility of hundreds of thousands of children traumatized by the war. 

5. The shock waves even extend to the diaspora. Before COVID, the 2021 Gaza operation, and the October 7th massacre and its ensuing war, Israel was the destination of 100,000 Jewish youth visiting us annually from all over the world. Whether through JUF-funded experiences like IsraelNow, Birthright, and Onward Israel, missions, and other programs, an Israel trip was a life-changing experience. This year, barely 20,000 tourists will spend quality time with us, a direct impact to a living bridge between Israel and the Diaspora. This will be challenging to make up for in the years to come. For youth who would have visited us at a key moment in their young adulthood, a bond with Israel will be harder to forge. 

This spring, we celebrate Israel’s 78th birthday, and we will begin to see the first tourists return. As we celebrate the miracle of Israel on both sides of the ocean, I encourage you to connect with your Israeli friends and family about the real issues that Israelis are discussing. And, please, educate us about the joys and challenges of Jewish life in Chicago.  

Celebrating Israel’s birthday requires Jews on both sides of the ocean to recognize our mutual commitments, and sacrifices for one another. We couldn’t do this without one another sharing one dialogue. But for this conversation to be real, we have to share what is really happening. 

 
Ofer Bavly is a JUF Vice President and the Director General of the JUF Israel Office.