Sunday brought tears of relief as Hadar Goldin’s body finally came home after 11 years. Watching our entire nation stand together, demanding every hostage returns, reminds us why we do what we do at Smiles for the Kids.
But as troops withdraw from Gaza, thousands of reservists are walking through their front doors after months—or even years—away. Some have been gone 600 days. Others 400. Some “only” 180. Every single day changes something back home.
I served three months near Gaza with Alog 99. Even in those three months, I missed the small stuff that makes life feel normal. The WhatsApp group jokes that made no sense when I returned. The neighbor’s drama everyone knew about except me. My regular coffee spot had new owners. Friends had inside references to things that happened while I was gone.
For those gone longer, the changes run deeper. Kids hit growth spurts. Toddlers became preschoolers who ask different questions now. Teenagers got their first jobs. Your ten-year-old discovered a passion for basketball you knew nothing about. Your daughter’s best friend moved away. Your son changed friend groups entirely.
The everyday adjustments hit unexpectedly hard. In Gaza, meals appeared at set times. Now you’re standing in front of an open refrigerator at 2 PM, remembering you need to actually make lunch. The office wants reports about quarterly metrics when last week you were coordinating supply runs that kept people alive. Your boss discusses workflow optimization while your mind drifts to your unit still deployed. Filing expense reports feels absurd after months of actual service.
Your friends are three seasons deep into jokes you don’t understand. The local grocery store relocated the entire produce section. Your synagogue has a new rabbi. The neighborhood WhatsApp group moved past twelve different controversies you completely missed. Everyone assumes you know why nobody talks to the Cohens anymore, but you have no idea what happened.
Last week, we met Avi from Ashkelon. Reserve duty since October 2023. His five-year-old daughter had started kindergarten, learned to ride a bike, lost her first tooth—all milestones he watched through video calls. At work, his team had restructured twice. New software, new clients, new everything. He told us the hardest part was sitting in a budget meeting discussing office supplies when two weeks earlier he was making decisions that actually mattered.
We gave his family grocery gift cards, covered three months of utilities, and connected them with a contractor for repairs. But we also just listened. Sometimes that matters more than anything else.
The numbers tell part of the story: 2,500+ families supported, 300+ weekly meals delivered, emergency funds distributed within hours of call-ups. But each number represents someone trying to catch up on six months of local news, relearn their kid’s bedtime routine, or pretend to care about spreadsheets again.
As more reservists return home in the coming weeks, the need shifts but doesn’t disappear. Whether they’ve been gone two months or twenty, reintegration takes time. Bills accumulated. Businesses were put on hold. Kids grew up. Friends moved on. The world kept spinning.
Our six pillars for 2026 include dedicated support for returning soldiers and their families. We’re looking for pillar sponsors who understand that bringing soldiers home marks the beginning of a new challenge, not the end of one.
Every contribution directly reaches a family trying to figure out their new normal—whether after 60 days or 600.
Welcome home to every soldier returning. Your service mattered. Your families’ sacrifice mattered. We’re here for whatever comes next.