Every day, we hear about more and more heroes who risked their lives for us in the wake of the October 7th massacre.
We had the profound privilege of meeting Ilan Maor, the father of one of those heroes — Captain Itay Maor (of blessed memory), who fell in battle on October 7th after defending Kibbutz Netiv HaAsara from a terrorist infiltration. He continued to fight bravely in other areas of the Gaza border region until he ran out of ammunition and could no longer continue.
So how did it all start?
We met at the WIX offices at the Glilot Junction — and take this opportunity to thank the company for its outstanding hospitality, and especially Nitzan Shalit, who ensured we had everything we needed and more — to host a new team as part of our processing sessions program.
getting started with "cleaning the elephants"
In an initial gathering, the team members joined Amit Faikovsky — a clinical psychologist and the organization’s professional advisor — and Hila Yagil Sukoy, a social worker, in a closed and intimate setting. There, they formed a discussion circle, began sharing their stories, getting to know one another, and gently opening up about their experiences.
Afterward, they stepped out to the hallway to enjoy the coffee corner and the meal that had been prepared for them.
guest lecture
As part of each processing session, we incorporate an external activity or guest lecture/workshop, designed to create a shift in atmosphere and offer a break from the more intensive discussions. These elements introduce new dimensions — inspiration, enrichment, motivation, and team bonding — allowing participants to engage from a different and refreshing perspective.
This time, we had the privilege of hosting Ilan Maor, the father of Itay Maor (of blessed memory), an Israeli hero. Ilan continues to honor his son’s memory at every opportunity, demonstrating that it is possible to carry pain while still choosing to lift one’s head and smile — to grieve, yet also to find strength, resilience, and the ability to move forward, in a way that reflects how Itay would have wished to be remembered.
In an open session attended by all participants — including Eitan Feldman (Operations Manager), Dekel Tzur (CEO), Shirley Ben Yaakov (a volunteer from the support network), the professional team, and the soldiers themselves — Ilan shared his and his family’s journey of rising from loss and hardship, and their commitment to continue living with purpose, guided by the belief that this is what Itay would have wanted for them.
He also shared the many values he learned from Itay, which continue to guide him through this challenging path. At the end of the session, he distributed stickers featuring these values alongside Itay’s photo — offering each participant something tangible to carry forward from the evening, as a source of strength and resilience.
Ilan encouraged the soldiers to continue attending the processing sessions, emphasizing their importance for both personal and collective mental resilience. He also spoke about how to approach bereaved families, stressing that no one should be judged for actions taken in the reality of combat. In his words: “Everything is in the hands of Heaven, and no person should be judged in their hardship or in their shoes in the moment.”
The bereaved father and the soldiers were deeply moved, and it was clear that the encounter had a powerful impact on everyone present.
The bright, emotional eyes of Ilan Maor — moved by the opportunity to strengthen other heroes through the legacy of his son (a hero to us all) — will stay with us for a long time. The emotional peak of the evening came when one of the team members shared that he, too, had known Itay personally.
