For Israeli mothers raising babies through war, trauma and uncertainty, support can change everything.
The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are critical, shaping their emotional, social and developmental future. They are also some of the most demanding days for any parent, especially mothers raising young children without a strong support network.
In Jerusalem, many mothers are navigating the pressures of war, reserve duty, single parenthood, immigration, financial hardship and trauma while caring for babies and toddlers. Some are doing it entirely alone.
That is why this EOFY, UIA Women’s Division are helping fund a new Heartbeats Centre in Jerusalem.
Heartbeats provides psychological care, parenting support and early childhood intervention during the most critical years of a child’s development. By supporting families early, it helps prevent crisis, strengthens resilience and gives parents the confidence to build safe, nurturing homes.
For mothers like Shir, that support has been life-changing. Shir became a mother to twin daughters, Emily and Jessica, at just 19 years old. Married young within an ultra-Orthodox community, she felt intense pressure to start a family immediately. But when the twins were only one month old, she made the difficult decision to leave a toxic marriage, determined to give her daughters a healthier model of love and respect.
Today, Shir is their primary caregiver.
“It was a very challenging process,” she says. “I was very young and had no experience with children. I didn’t know how to approach them or understand what they needed.”
After being referred to Heartbeats, Shir began working with mentor Meirav, who visited her weekly. “At first, I needed someone to tell me even the most basic things,” Shir recalls. “How to handle situations without stress, without fear. How to be the mother my daughters needed.”
Meirav saw something different: a devoted young woman eager to learn and grow. Every piece of guidance she offered, Shir implemented.
But Heartbeats did more than strengthen Shir’s parenting. It helped her rediscover herself. “That is the power of Heartbeats,” says Meirav. “It helps mothers see their strengths and believe in what is possible.”
Today, Shir describes herself as “a better mother with an open mind. Without this program, I don’t know if I would have been able to see so many beautiful sides of my daughters.”
This EOFY, the UIA Women’s Division invites you to help strengthen Israel’s youngest and most vulnerable families. Because when we strengthen a mother, we strengthen a child. And when we strengthen a child, we help shape Israel’s future.
That is the transformative power of women supporting women.
To make a donation before 30 June, visit uiaaustralia.org.au/donate-womens-division