The Victory at the End of the Tunnel – The ”Shavim Lachaim” Journey to Orlando

On December 8, 2025, Channel 12 aired a report by Yael Odem and Adi Schwarzman about the trip to Orlando that we initiated for survivors of captivity as part of the ”Shavim Lachaim” (Returning to Life) project.

For more than a year and a half, we have been accompanying survivors of captivity and their families – from the very first home visit, through continuous daily support around the clock, addressing personal needs, and organizing meaningful and uplifting experiences in Israel and abroad.

For this journey to Orlando, Florida, we brought 44 survivors of captivity together with their family members.

This trip was especially unique. This time, several of the survivors who joined us had been released from Gaza only two weeks earlier,  just a few days before, they were still deep inside the tunnels.

Almost a year ago, when we took survivors on the first Orlando trip, they barely knew one another. They were strangers connected only by a shared, cruel fate.

But during this latest journey, you could clearly feel the warm atmosphere of a close-knit community. Beyond their shared story, they had already built friendships, shared experiences, and created many positive and joyful memories together.

When we first launched the ”Shavim Lachaim” project, we never imagined it would grow into such a strong sense of closeness and mutual support – a remarkable community where everyone feels equal, safe, and embraced. A community that has become a true home, where people are surrounded by others who truly understand them, even without words.

What stood out most on this journey, compared to previous trips, was that for the first time the survivors traveled knowing that no living hostages remained in Gaza. It was the first time we saw them truly allow themselves to let go, to laugh freely, to celebrate life, and to enjoy.

Of course, the journey was not without triggers and challenging moments.

But those moments faded in comparison to the wide smiles, the laughter, the warm hugs, and the joyful expressions of people who, not long ago, struggled to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”Shavim Lachaim” began as a project,  and has become a large family.
And we are deeply proud to be part of it.

#Shavim_Lachaim #Orlando #Lehosheet_Yad #

 

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