Growing up in Israel, Lior Krengel moved every year before the age of 10, following her father’s military assignments. Her childhood was marked by transitions, new homes, new schools, and a sense of constant change. Later, the family relocated to Brazil, where she spent her teenage years, before returning to Israel and joining the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a lone soldier at 18.

By then, Krengel had already learned to build resilience, a trait that would become pivotal in the years ahead. Although Krengel has two degrees in psychology, she landed in a career in the tech industry and helped launch the wildly successful monday.com. In her role, Krengel felt deeply connected to her Zionist values, proud of her work that contributed to Israel’s economic growth.

That all changed on Oct. 7, 2023.

When the attack on Israel began, Krengel thought it was the end. “For three days, we stayed in our safe room, convinced it was just a matter of time before terrorists would breach our walls,” she recalled. As the war unfolded, the severity of the situation became impossible to ignore. It wasn’t just soldiers on the front lines; it was civilians, ordinary people in their homes, caught in a nightmare. Krengel felt an overwhelming sense of disconnection, particularly when she sat down to a breakfast at work while news of the atrocities poured in. “I remember thinking, ‘This is so disconnected. How can I go on like this when so many people are suffering?’”

Two weeks into the conflict, Krengel made a decisive choice: She took time off from her high-powered job and started volunteering in the community of Kfar Aza, which had been brutally attacked. The community had been relocated, and Krengel worked tirelessly to help them rebuild. She became involved with the Israeli Children’s Fund (ICF), a volunteer-run organization, and soon found herself in a new role as CEO.

For the past 10 months, Krengel has been at the heart of efforts to support the young survivors of the Oct. 7 attacks—children who witnessed their parents’ deaths, lost siblings, and were forced to flee their homes in terror. These children, some as young as newborns, were plunged into trauma on a scale that Israel had never seen before. “Children woke up that day and saw their world collapse in an instant. They lost so much—family, identity, their sense of security,” Krengel said.

The ICF has focused on providing financial support and mental health resources for the survivors. But the need was immense, far beyond what anyone had anticipated. The foundation quickly mobilized to provide immediate grants for things like therapy, education, and even simple life milestones like weddings and birthdays. “For some of these children, something as simple as a birthday party is a way to heal,” Krengel explained. “It’s not just a luxury; it’s a vital step in reclaiming some semblance of normalcy.”

The foundation has been supporting over 470 children, ranging in age from infants to young adults, who have lost one or both parents, with many who still have fathers held hostage in Gaza. Some children are now being raised by deeply traumatized surviving parents, while others are being cared for by extended family members or friends.

“A lot of people think recovery is just about the financial side, but it’s about understanding the complexities of trauma,” Krengel said. The foundation provides personalized grants, social workers, and even legal support for issues like parental debt, custody, and education. Krengel notes that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Each child and family have specific needs, and they are committed to a customized approach that addresses these unique challenges.

Professional committees guide their work, advising on the use of raised funds, overseeing the grants process, ensuring resources are allocated effectively, helping ICF avoid overlap with existing systems, and monitoring emerging needs, enabling a responsive approach. Grant-making to families and individuals falls under three categories:

  • Recovery and rehabilitation: Emotional and physical recovery support.
  • Education: Covering everything from newborn care (e.g., nanny services) to higher education for young adults.
  • Lifecycle grants: Support for life milestones, such as celebrations, car purchases, and homeownership. They also support orphans who become parents themselves.

In August 2024, CJP gave ICF $1 million from its Israel Emergency Fund to continue their work providing recovery grants. “These are very flexible; they could be used for extracurricular activities, but these are not a ‘nice to have,’” Krengel says. “There’s so much healing in providing flexible support. We’re here and we want to ensure we see them for their needs and their individual identities and who they would have been if this hadn’t happened to them. We can’t remove the sadness and the trauma, but we can allow them to continue building their lives.”

One story Krengel shared was of a father who was injured and whose wife was killed in the massacre at the Nova music festival. He was hospitalized for weeks, and when he finally returned home, he was left to raise three young children under 12. Despite his own grief, the father requested a grant to fund his daughter’s bat mitzvah, a request that was fulfilled with the help of the ICF. “There’s so much resilience in these families,” Krengel said, fighting back tears. “They want to keep moving forward, and we’re here to make sure they have the tools to do that.”

As a former lone soldier, Krengel understands the importance of community and support. “When you’re alone in the IDF, you don’t have the safety net that most people do. I know what it feels like to not have a home, to not have a place where you truly belong,” she says. “The notion of home—I’ve been exploring this all my life and always reconstructing and reconfiguring it in my heart.” But now, working with these orphaned children, Krengel feels the weight of her own personal history come full circle. “For these kids, home is a concept that has been ripped away. They are in the process of rebuilding not just their homes, but their lives,” she says.

The foundation’s work is far from over. Krengel envisions a long-term commitment, extending far into the future, to ensure these young survivors receive the support they need to heal and thrive. In the early stages, much of the work has been reactive—responding to immediate needs like funeral arrangements, temporary housing, and emergency financial aid. But as time goes on, the foundation is focusing more on providing resources for long-term recovery: academic scholarships, career counseling, and social reintegration programs.

“We have to ensure these kids can go on to live fulfilling lives, despite everything they’ve been through,” Krengel said. “The decision to support them until the age of 30 isn’t trivial. It reflects our understanding that parental care, guidance, and financial support are crucial after army service, typically at 21, and throughout the critical years of early adulthood as they navigate life’s big decisions.”

The resilience of these children is nothing short of extraordinary. Krengel has witnessed firsthand the power of even the smallest acts of kindness—whether it’s funding a family trip, organizing a birthday celebration, or simply listening to a child’s story. “They didn’t do anything wrong, and we owe these kids everything to give them the best chance to recover,” she says. “What they need most is to know they’re not alone. And that’s what we’re here for.”

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