Genesis

Tag: Trauma Recovery

  • Avi Megera: A Story of Love, Loss, and Resilience in the Wake of October 7th’s Horrific Tragedy and Trauma

    Avi Megera: A Story of Love, Loss, and Resilience in the Wake of October 7th’s Horrific Tragedy and Trauma

    The city of Sderot has always stood as a symbol of perseverance. However, for the Megera family, it became the center of unimaginable loss on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists launched an attack that would change their lives forever. Avi Megera (z”l), a beloved father of four and a devoted husband was taken from his family that day, but his legacy of love, dedication, and resilience continues to shine through the darkness.

    On that fateful morning, Avi was doing something he loved—riding his motorcycle with a group of friends. For Avi, these moments were a release, a time to embrace the freedom of the open road and connect with a passion that balanced his busy life. But as they rode out of Sderot, a group of terrorists ambushed them. Avi and several other bikers were shot in cold blood; their lives were cut short as violence spread through the streets of the city.

    Avi, 48, left behind a family that adored him. His wife, Michal, and their four children—Shaked, Ilai, Shalev, and Ori—now face the difficult task of rebuilding their lives without the man who was the pillar of their home.

    “Avi was more than a father; he was our best friend,” said Shaked, Avi’s eldest son and a combat soldier in the Golani Brigade. “He was always there for us, no matter what, and he taught us to always put family first.”

    The trauma of the attack has compounded the pain of losing Avi, but the Megera family is determined to honor his memory by staying strong and supporting one another. As Michal, the heart of the family, navigates the grief and the sudden role of single parenthood, her resilience is both a tribute to her husband’s enduring spirit and a source of strength for her children.

    “We feel his presence every day,” Michal shared. “I see him in Shaked’s smile, in Ilai’s curiosity, and in the way Ori and Shalev care for each other. He is always with us.”

    The Megera family’s story has touched many, and support for them has grown as the community rallies to help them through this tragic time. Genesis Friends for Life Global Foundation has been at the forefront of these efforts, offering emotional, academic, and financial assistance to ensure that Michal and her children have the necessary resources to rebuild their lives. Shaked, who hopes to pursue a career in architecture, has been granted support to further his education, while his brother Ilai, a bright and ambitious student, is receiving academic tutoring to help him pursue his passion for computer science.

    In November, Michal and her children will travel to Miami as part of the Friends for Life Ambassadors Trip, a program designed to provide healing and growth opportunities for families like theirs. During their visit, Michal will share her story with a broader audience, offering a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of supporting those affected by the events of October 7.

    Genesis Friends for Life is committed to ensuring that the Megera family and others receive the long-term support they need. “We are not only honoring Avi’s memory,” said Dr. Lior Aviman, CEO of Genesis Friends for Life Israel NGO, “but we are also standing with his family to ensure that their future is bright. Avi’s legacy lives on in his children, and we will do everything we can to help them succeed.”

    The journey ahead for the Megera family is long, but they are not walking it alone. Avi’s love and dedication to his family remain a guiding light, and the outpouring of support from their community and Genesis Friends for Life is helping to pave the way for a brighter tomorrow.

    As we reflect on the profound loss endured by the Megera family and others impacted by the violence of October 7, we are reminded of the resilience and strength that emerges in the face of tragedy. Genesis Friends for Life is working tirelessly to provide orphans and widows with the emotional and practical support they need to heal, grow, and thrive.

    In Avi Megera’s memory, we honor not just the man he was but the future he envisioned for his family. Together, we stand with Michal, Shaked, Ilai, Shalev, and Ori, ensuring their journey is one of healing and hope.

    To support the Megera family and other families affected by the events of October 7, you can sponsor and purchase tickets for the upcoming Genesis Friends for Life event, “Love Always Wins,” by visiting this website.

  • From Deep Trauma, Unimaginable Loss, and Hopelessness to A Meaningful and Peaceful Life: Let’s Stand for The Orphans of October 7th

    From Deep Trauma, Unimaginable Loss, and Hopelessness to A Meaningful and Peaceful Life: Let’s Stand for The Orphans of October 7th

    Last week, I met one of the orphans of October 7th.

    There are no words to describe the heartbreak, shock, sense of emptiness, and loss of direction. Before me stood a young person who should have been celebrating life, making life plans, and fulfilling them, filled with hope and looking forward to a good and complete life.

    At the age of 19, he experienced events that the human mind cannot and refuses to, comprehend. One parent was murdered in their home, another was kidnapped and later found to have been murdered, and two younger siblings were kidnapped and returned after fifty days as part of an agreement with the most ruthless murderers.

    The kibbutz, the home where he lived and grew up for 19 years, was destroyed and burned to the ground.

    “I lived in a protected bubble, a bubble where everything was safe and quiet. I had the usual plans of a young person in Israel— a year of service, enlistment in a combat unit, and a big trip around the world. Everything shattered into pieces,” he told me.

    How can a person wake up in the morning and continue with their life after such an event? How do you find the strength to keep going and hope for better days?

    As we spoke, I also thought about the dozens of orphans who have experienced such a terrible loss and need to continue with their lives and make plans for their future families and their own future while dealing with the difficult feelings of grief and orphanhood.

    Orphanhood because of a terrorist attack is just as painful and difficult as any other kind of orphanhood. Still, it has its own unique characteristics that make it even more challenging for the orphan, adding complexity to the already difficult task of coping with the loss.

    When a terrorist attack causes orphanhood, the loss is accompanied by additional feelings of fear, helplessness, and shock from the horrific event.

    There are anxieties stemming from a lack of physical security, as well as intense feelings of guilt due to false thoughts of helplessness and the fact that, as an orphan, I survived while my beloved relatives were no longer with me.

    Moreover, many orphans find themselves having to take on new roles within the family, such as caring for younger siblings or providing financial support. These roles can weigh heavily on them, adding feelings of burden and responsibility to their grief, further straining their mental state.

    These complex feelings require long-term professional and personal support. Empathy and the ability of those around the orphan to understand and contain their emotions are essential, as is a long-term plan to help the orphan, as much as possible, to plan a life path so that orphanhood does not become an obstacle to their success.

    You might be thinking cynically, “Easy to say.” That’s true. It is indeed easier to write an article or talk about orphanhood than to experience it and deal with it day by day, hour by hour.

    But if we are people of kindness, and if none of the orphan’s difficult emotions are foreign to us, we have a duty to help them in every possible way, to plan comprehensive assistance, and to think long-term, not as a one-time intervention.

    Based on professional literature in the field, Genesis Israel, also known as Friends for Life, has developed a long-term support and assistance program for orphans of terror victims (DORON GRANT FOR LIFE).

    The program includes various layers of support and assistance. We are not interested in one-time interventions or donations to the many respected organizations. We are committed to genuine, long-term kindness that saves lives in a professional and sustained manner.

    Our uniqueness lies in our ability to provide long-term support to the orphan at every stage of their life.

    Our uniqueness lies in a professional program tailored personally to the orphan and their psychological, familial, emotional, and educational needs, with a focus on the long-term horizon of their integration into the business or high-tech world, the world of music or art, the legal or medical fields—according to their needs and talents.

    The organizational backbone of Genesis is located in Miami and includes successful businesspeople, medical professionals, lawyers, tech and biotechnology experts—all committed to long-term support and continuous acts of kindness, as we have decided—until the orphan stands on their own feet and becomes a self-leader and community leader.

    Emotional and psychological support, educational assistance, mentoring and guidance, legal support, professional training, family guidance—these and more, the people of Genesis wish and can provide with great love.

    Meeting the orphan and hearing his harrowing story strengthened my belief that we must increase our efforts, be attentive and flexible, accurately identify needs, sometimes let the orphan think about what is right for them, and sometimes advise and guide them in a way that allows them to find hope despite the difficult experiences they have endured.

    The conversation with the orphan I met at a café in Tel Aviv also reinforced my thoughts about kindness and mitzvot, which are a staple in Judaism.

    Sensitivity to the weak and the willingness to help them as much as you can are ingrained in Jewish and Israeli culture and are one of the sources of strength for everyone living in Israel during these times and for all Jews around the world.

    Fortunately, there are many who are willing to lend a hand, give a hug, be attentive, and mobilize in any way to help. I am fortunate that Genesis Israel is part of this family. I wish for all of us that we will always be on the giving side, and that if we find ourselves in need, there will be many who will be there for us.

    This is the strength of a community, and it is also a measure of the strength of human society.

    It is impossible not to recall the touching quote by Martin Luther King: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

    Dr. Lior Aviman

    CEO of Genesis Israel

    Assisting the orphans of October 7th