IDF Soldiers Receive Southern Hospitality & Solidarity

The Dupree served as “base camp” for one hot night on Aug. 23, as it hosted 100 mostly community members as they mingled with 100 IDF soldiers.

Dupree Executive Director Dana Sender-Mulla framed the program and dinner as an opportunity to honor the Golani troops, celebrate solidarity, and engage in meaningful conversation.

Israeli Consul General to the Southeast Eitan Weiss underscored the significance of the community’s support, describing Atlanta’s as among the strongest in the United States.

Co-Chair Delilah Cohen related, “We use Camp Ramah Darom to provide a private, sacred space for the soldiers to connect with nature and focus on their healing alongside therapists and each other. Ramah offered a protected environment to disconnect from the outside world and do the necessary work of recovery from post-war stress and mental health conditions.”

Dr. Gene Sacks, co-founder of Camp Ramah Darom and event co-chair, drove from Nashville and described the exponential growth of the retreat program. Two years ago, 13 soldiers participated, while this year the camp hosted 100 members of the Golani Brigade. Sacks provided historical perspective on the Golani Brigade, which was established in 1948 and has participated in nearly every major Israeli conflict.

At the center of the program is Bishvil HaMachar, Hebrew for “path for tomorrow,” which was founded in 2009 and specializes in helping IDF combat reservists process the emotional consequences of war through small-group, nature-based retreats led by psychologists, clinical social workers and trained facilitators. More than 5,500 reservists have participated. Sacks, a former Navy physician and Vietnam veteran, spoke about the importance of creating structured healing environments for combat veterans.

Consul General Weiss offered his own experience post-Oct. 7. Following the attack, he was assigned to the IDF command and control center, where he monitored military operations for compliance with international humanitarian law. He praised Israeli ingenuity and perseverance, noting that Golani soldiers faced an enemy that was “unusually tenacious and ruthless. Their circumstances required rapid adaptation, courage, and extraordinary resilience.” He also addressed the soldiers in Hebrew.

Sender-Mulla, who previously served as a Tash officer, recalled her own Hineni moment. On Oct. 8, while living in Miami, her husband returned to serve with the Givati Brigade. She found herself balancing public efforts, rallies, fundraising, advocacy for hostages with what ultimately became her most important responsibility: caring for their four young children, who asked when their father would return. During a brief visit home during a pause in fighting, she realized that although her husband was physically with his family, his mind and heart remained with his soldiers. Later, his unit waited seven years for a Bishvil HaMachar retreat where he returned “a lighter man.”

Anonymous examples of healing included a soldier who slept six uninterrupted hours for the first time since Oct. 7 after suffering terribly from nightmares. Another soldier, previously unable to tolerate being alone, found peace sitting beside a stream. A medic carrying guilt over leaving his platoon before rejoining four days later also found relief. His fellow soldiers reminded him that he had fought alongside them for months and saved lives, telling him he had made the best decision possible under impossible circumstances. Facilitators said that kind of peer validation can accomplish something individual therapy alone cannot.

One Golani soldier spoke publicly in English for the first time. He described carrying experiences that are difficult to explain to anyone who has not lived through combat. The retreat gave him the chance to step away, breathe, and feel understood. After a buffet dinner from EB Catering, soldiers and community members exchanged perspectives using conversation starters to encourage candid discussion.

Since only male soldiers were present, Maya Talmon Chvaicer, chief development officer of Bishvil HaMachar, told the AJT that female-only and co-ed retreats also exist for various skills, positions, and unit types.

Cohen concluded: “I became involved in this effort because I wanted our soldiers to know they are never alone. My goal was to illustrate that they have a global family, brothers, sisters, parents, and friends, who are standing behind them, praying for their safety, and honoring their service every single day. By bringing our Israeli and Jewish-American communities together, we demonstrate the genuine warmth and care of our community and assure that these soldiers felt the full weight of our gratitude. I was honored to be part of it.”