Charedi Businessman Hosts Soldiers And Their Families For Shabbat Respite From Battles

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In a unique initiative sponsored by charedi businessman David Hager, the Eshet Chayil project sponsors vacations for families of soldiers so that they can have some welcome respite from the battles with their families

Families of combat fighters from all units arrive, every Shabbat a different group, and Hager plans on continuing the project for the coming period, hosting a group of wives and families of soldiers for a weekend in a hotel, with activities for the children.

“Because they simply deserve it. These people are the salt of the earth, the combat fighters have been on the front line for over a month now, and their wives are in a no less important role, keeping the home front strong and stable. This is the least we can do to show our gratitude” Hager told Israel Hayom.

Daniel (alias) is a soldier in an elite IDF unit who lives in central Israel, and at 7:10 in the morning of October 7, was called to his unit. Upon arrival, he sent a message to his wife: “Heading out on a mission, love you all, hoping everything will be over by tonight.” However, as he soared in a helicopter towards the Gaza periphery and observed the unfolding events from above, he realized it wouldn’t end so quickly. “We saw smoke mushrooms, missiles falling incessantly, and the helicopter constantly changing angles, flying at an extremely low altitude, just like in war movies,” he recounts.

After landing, he engaged in combat and rescue of residents barricaded in bomb shelters in their homes. Two terrorists hiding in the vegetation fired at him from behind, injuring him. He fell to the ground, losing a considerable amount of blood.

“I shouted for help; the terrorist kept shooting in my direction, and I understood that there was no one to rescue me,” he recalls. “I felt like I was moments away from death. I said to myself Shema Yisrael, and spoke to God saying, ‘I’m okay with it, it’s not my destiny to live, but my wife is righteous, so why should this happen to her?'”

After a few minutes, a military vehicle arrived with soldiers who successfully extricated him under fire. He received initial medical treatment and was evacuated unconscious to a hospital, where he underwent complex surgery.

Over the past weekend, he and his family stayed at the Dan Tel Aviv hotel as part of the “Eshet Chayil” project initiated by Hager.

Guy, from the Maglan unit, came with Yifat, his wife, and their two children to the family Shabbat and they said this was their first Shabbat as a family since October 7. Yifat mentioned that their son kept on asking for dad to return home and that they all go to a hotel together, and his dream came true. “This is our first Shabbat together, in a hotel just as my son wished, and our anniversary happens to be on Sunday. It is amazing that we can celebrate for a moment as if there’s no war out there”.

David Hager remarked, “For two decades, I’ve been supporting charedi soldiers through the ‘Netzah Yehuda’ association. I understand that for us to have a strong army, we need a stronger home front, so we provide families of soldiers with a few days of respite. It strengthens them and directly impacts the soldiers in the field.”