They came from all over the south of Israel, where they are living through the renewed anguish, uncertainty, and trauma of rocket fire from Gaza. 45 bereaved parents, all victims of terrorism, came from as far afield as Rehovot, Be’er Sheva, Tel Aviv and Ashkelon, in order to join together to strengthen each other and to share their difficulties and challenges.

This special evening for bereaved parents was hosted Malka and Shalom Lampert whose daughter Avital and son-in-law Avi were murdered by terrorists in August 2002. The gathering included a tour of their moshav near Netivot, where they are raising their orphaned grandchildren, Nadav and Yigal.

The program included an intensely moving visit to the synagogue built by the Lamperts in memory of Avital and Avi and a creative and positive flower art therapy session during which the parents were able to talk and share and bond with each other. The evening concluded with a dinner.

The entire event was carefully planned and engineered by OneFamily’s expert team to provide the participants with a nurturing experience of healing and relief.

The gathering was yet another forum and stepping stone in the bereaved parents’ process of coping with their ongoing and overwhelming sense of loss, grief, and other complex emotions, which they feel can only be understood by each other and by OneFamily.

All of the parents agree that as much as they seek to embrace their future, they expect to endure a lifetime of pain. They need OneFamily and the Power of Together to enable them to function on a daily basis, to face the sadness and emptiness that each day brings, and to do what they need to do for the sake of the rest of their family.

The Lampert family’s enthusiasm in hosting this gathering is testimony to the rehabilitation and resilience that OneFamily is able to effect.

The bright sunflowers that could be seen blooming in their garden, placed along the tables, and in the smiles of each participant, are a fitting metaphor for the hope, renewal and color that OneFamily brings to the shattered lives of Israel’s victims of terror.