WATCH: How an Israeli NGO Supports Grieving Grandparents of Fallen Soldiers

Family and friends attend the funeral of Israeli soldier Staff Sergeant Sahar Sudaei at Kiryat Shaul Military Cemetery, on May 12, 2024. He was killed in battle in the Gaza Strip. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90 *** Family and friends attend the funeral of Israeli soldier Staff Sergeant Sahar Sudaei at Kiryat Shaul Military Cemetery, on May 12, 2024. He was killed in battle in the Gaza Strip. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90 ***

An Israeli NGO, the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), is providing a powerful lifeline to grieving grandparents of fallen soldiers, a group whose pain is often overlooked.

Ruthie and Andy Weiser, whose grandson Staff Sergeant Roey Weiser heroically sacrificed himself during the October 7th Hamas attack to save others, shared how a special grief retreat helped them find solace, community, and a space to grieve openly.

In a room filled with hundreds touched by the same loss, the retreat offered these grandparents not only recognition and support but also the chance to feel seen, heard, and embraced by a nation determined to honor their sacrifice.