Two weeks ago, former October 7th hostage Elkana Bohbot and his wife, Rivka, welcomed a baby girl. Bohbot who spent more than two years in Hamas captivity before returning home in October 2025, shared a photo from the hospital of himself, Rivka, and their newborn daughter. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the moment “the real victory.”
The celebration offered a powerful reminder of the new life that has continued to emerge in Israel throughout more than three years of war, loss, displacement, and uncertainty.
“For thousands of women across Israel, pregnancy and childbirth during wartime have brought challenges few could have imagined, from grieving a loved one or caring for a wounded partner to spending months separated from a husband serving in the reserves, being evacuated from home, or preparing to give birth under rocket fire,” said Rebecca Caspi, Director General of Jewish Federations’ Israel Office. “Through our partnership with the Israel Midwives Association, we are helping ensure that women facing these extraordinary circumstances have someone by their side throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.”
In the early stages of the Swords of Iron War, the Israel Midwives Association identified 24 pregnant women whose husbands or partners had been killed in the war. The organization recognized that these women needed more than traditional prenatal care. They needed individual support from someone who understood the complex intersection of pregnancy, grief, and war.
With support from Jewish Federations, the Israel Midwives Association launched “By Your Side,” an initiative providing personalized care. Each woman was matched with a dedicated team of two to three midwives who accompanied her throughout the process. The teams met with the women during their pregnancies, provided 24/7 telephone assistance, offered in-person support during childbirth, and continued providing care after the babies were born.
As the war continued, both the needs of Israeli women and the program changed, too.
“By Your Side” expanded to include pregnant partners of wounded IDF soldiers, providing another group of women confronting pregnancy and childbirth under circumstances they never could have expected. To date, 127 partners of fallen or wounded IDF soldiers have received tailored support through this initiative.
For pregnant women in northern Israel, the war created another set of challenges.
Evacuations and repeated rocket attacks disrupted access to hospitals and other healthcare services, leaving some expecting mothers unsure whether they would be able to reach medical care when labor began.
In response, the Israel Midwives Association developed “Navigating Labor,” with support from Jewish Federations. The program helped pregnant women access critical healthcare, prepare for the possibility of emergency births, and understand what to do if rocket attacks prevented them from reaching a hospital. A dedicated team of midwives was also available to provide guidance and reassurance if women unexpectedly found themselves giving birth at home during an attack.
The goal was not only to prepare women medically, but also to provide a source of calm during a moment when the uncertainty of childbirth was compounded by the uncertainty of war.
Then, in June 2025, Iranian missile attacks once again brought those concerns to expecting mothers across the country.
Federation support helped the Israel Midwives Association establish a national hotline for pregnant women navigating rocket fire and expand “Navigating Labor” nationwide. The expanded program reached acutely affected women across Israel, including wives of reservists and women living in frontline regions.
When conflict with Iran once again disrupted daily life in spring 2026, Federation support enabled those resources to reopen, giving expectant mothers access to guidance and support when they once again needed it most.
Jewish Federations have allocated more than $1.1 million to support the Israel Midwives Association’s work. That includes $921,000 allocated collectively through Jewish Federations’ Israel Emergency Response Committee and an additional $183,700 provided by individual Federations and other donors. Partnering Federations have included the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, and UJA-Federation of New York.
That support has translated into thousands of individual moments of care. To date, the Israel Midwives Association has assisted 3,291 women before, during, and after childbirth, including 911 wives of reservists.
Behind each number is a woman navigating one of the most significant moments of her life amid circumstances she could never have imagined, and a midwife is there, making sure she does not navigate it alone.
And even amid years marked by tremendous loss, new life has continued. The recent birth of Elkana and Rivka Bohbot’s daughter offered one highly visible reminder of that reality. Families are rebuilding, growing, and beginning new chapters after October 7th.
Through their partnership with the Israel Midwives Association, Jewish Federations are helping thousands of other Israeli families do the same. They are ensuring that even in some of the most challenging moments imaginable, expecting mothers have someone by their side.
Watch the video below to see how Federations' partnership with the Israel Midwives Association changes lives.