The Israeli family who hosted fallen soldier Sgt. Rose Lubin during her time in the Israel Defense Forces has been brought to Atlanta in a locally organized project to support families traumatized by the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.
Tamar and Idan James, with their four children, are being hosted by Lubin’s father, David, and stepmother, Stephanie Keating Lubin, in Dunwoody. Idan will speak at the Chabad Israeli Center Atlanta on Friday, March 8.
Rose Lubin, 20, a Dunwoody High School graduate who had fulfilled her childhood dream of moving to Israel and serving in the IDF, was stabbed to death while on duty on Nov. 6 in the Old City of Jerusalem. Just weeks earlier, Lubin was visiting the James family, her hosts as a lone soldier.
On Oct. 7 near the Gaza Strip, Hamas killed some 1,200 people and the kidnapped another 250, mostly civilians. As many as 130 of those kidnapped are still being held captive.
Mission: Embrace Israel, a project supported by Chabad Israeli Center Atlanta, has brought to Atlanta about 100 Israelis for several weeks of rest and recuperation. Its initial goal to bring as many as 300 families is facing financial challenges.
Project founder and coordinator Meir Matana said there is no shortage of Israelis wanting and needing rehabilitation time away from Israel.
“We are getting so many applications. The people are really suffering; even if they’ve been relocated to another temporary city, they’re not going to recover for 10 years. They need this breather,” said Matana.
With a tagline of “healing and rebuilding Israeli families attacked by Hamas with psychological and financial relief,” the project can already measure some success, Matana said. Families who returned to Israel after a few weeks in Atlanta are reporting that they feel like they had a chance to recuperate.
As Adi Rozen and her children were leaving Atlanta to return to Israel, she wrote a thank you note. She “learned so strongly how we are all responsible for each other. I realized that the reason we are the only ones who survived 2,000 years was because of our concern for each other everywhere in the world.”
The Sahar family expressed gratitude for being saved “on that cursed October Saturday,” and to those involved with Mission: Embrace Israel.
“Our greatest gratitude goes to … the Atlanta Israeli community, the Atlanta Jewish community and the Atlanta Chabad House. You are our brothers, our extended family who, although on a distant continent, have felt our pain, the depth of our souls, which were yearning to get away for some respite from the chaos that has surrounded us since that unfolding event. Thank you for thinking, conceiving, producing and operating this wonderful project, for taking us into your arms, and bringing us into your lives and homes,” the family penned.
The project is being fine tuned for each family. “Some want to travel and some want to put their children in school,” Matana said.
Tens of thousands of Israelis were evacuated from the 20 communities along the Gaza border into hotels where many remain today. Thousands more Israeli families have been similarly evacuated from the north that continues to be bombarded by Hezbollah rockets from Lebanon. Matan said his project may soon open to those families from the north.
“The bottleneck is the budget,” said Matana. “Fifty percent of the money has come from Atlanta. The money goes for flight tickets and expenses while the families are in the U.S.”
“There are a few groups in Atlanta who wanted to donate funds and I held that up for a few weeks to see what’s happening in the north and then we’ll start fundraising again,” he added.
Matana, who has lived in Atlanta for 14 years, emphasized that his organization is all volunteers. There are committees responsible for interviewing applicants, finding host families, arranging mental health support, and providing supportive educational options for the children.
Matana said a few foundations have contributed to the project, as well as a number of individuals. Donors can contribute through the Chabad Israeli Center’s 501(c)3 tax exemption. To volunteer or contribute, visit the website.