Welcome Back Home
MWU opens its heart and doors at Kfar Maccabiah to the released hostages and their families — helping them heal and rebuild their lives
- 29 October, 2025
Since the tragic events of October 7, MWU's heart and doors have been wide open, embracing evacuees from across Israel, survivors of the Nova music festival, hostages from earlier release phases, civilians displaced by rocket attacks, and thousands of IDF soldiers at Kfar Maccabiah — offering not just a shelter but a true sense of home.
Today, we have the privilege of welcoming the recently released hostages and their families — those we all prayed for during two unbearable years — providing them with safety, care, and comfort following their treatment at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan.
During their stay at Kfar Maccabiah, the families are surrounded by a circle of support: mental health professionals, medical staff, and a caring team providing all necessary services and allowing them to focus fully on recovery and renewal at this deeply emotional time.
“Maccabi World Union and the Maccabiah are inextricably connected to the Jewish people, in the Diaspora and in Israel", said Amir Gissin, CEO of Maccabi World Union. "This is especially true today, when the hostages and their families have been embraced by Jews from around the world. We have already hosted hostages and their families during previous release phases, and as such have become acutely aware of their needs. We will do everything in our power to provide for them and protect their privacy, to give them a safe place to recover and rehabilitate. Our story and our fate are shared; as such we see it as an inalienable duty and a matter of respect, to be there for them and with them in any way we can".
The mission of supporting IDF soldiers, the people of Israel, and now our returning loved ones is only possible thanks to the generosity of Jewish communities around the world. Your support embodies the timeless values of Maccabi: unity, resilience, and mutual responsibility — values that have guided us for more than a century.
This summer, the Jewish world will gather here in Israel for the 2026 Maccabiah – the greatest celebration of our solidarity and the spirit that carries us forward.
Thank you for being part of this journey – we look forward to seeing you all soon!
