Over 100 children who lost relatives in the Hamas war undergo therapy at Israel’s Camp Koby

More than a hundred Israeli children and teenagers who lost parents, brothers, or sisters in the war with Hamas are spending this summer at Camp Koby—a unique therapeutic camp organized by the Koby Mandell Foundation.

For many of these children, Camp Koby is the first place where they can feel safe and not alone in their grief.

The camp offers not only professional psychological support, but also space for friendship, creativity, and rest. Here, children learn to smile again, to share their pain with those who truly understand, and to gradually return to life step by step.

“We create an environment where children can be themselves and know they are not alone,” says Sherri Mandell, the foundation’s co-founder, who lost her son Koby in a terrorist attack in 2001. Since then, her mission has been to help others cope with the kind of tragedy her family endured.

This year, Camp Koby expanded its program: for the first time, a dedicated session was held for children orphaned by the October 7, 2023 attacks and subsequent fighting. More than 100 teenagers are part of this group. In total, the camp welcomes around 500 participants in the summer of 2025.

Over two decades, Camp Koby has become the largest support program in Israel for children who lost loved ones to war or terror. Its mission is not only to ease pain, but to help young participants find the strength to move forward—preserving the memory of loved ones and faith in the future.