HaOgen for Reservist Families Receives “Mayor’s Award for Volunteerism” in Jerusalem

This week, HaOgen for Reservist Families received the “Mayor’s Award for Volunteerism” from Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon – an exciting moment of recognition for ongoing work, mutual support, and upholding the Jerusalem spirit.

This is an opportunity to thank our forty champion community coordinators who voluntarily coordinate activities in all neighborhoods of the city, and our 1,000 volunteers for their dedication to the approximately 3,000 families at HaOgen for Reservist Families in Jerusalem. What an amazing community that embraces the families of IDF reserve soldiers on a daily basis by cooking meals, babysitting, making home repairs, and more. Cheers!

As we stood on stage, it was impossible not to think about the great journey we have made. It all started on October 7, 2023, when a Jerusalemite mother asked if we could re-establish the project to assist reservist families that we had started during Operation Protective Edge. It was a reminder of the power of real action, and a sign that we needed to act again.

One post, a WhatsApp group — and from there a national movement grew. A local Jerusalemite project has become a network of tens of thousands of volunteers working in 213 municipalities and supporting over 40,000 reservist families.