{"id":27318,"date":"2025-07-07T14:16:45","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T11:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/?p=27318"},"modified":"2025-07-07T14:16:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T11:16:45","slug":"from-battle-scars-to-soulmates-a-nations-women-embrace-the-wounded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/from-battle-scars-to-soulmates-a-nations-women-embrace-the-wounded\/","title":{"rendered":"From Battle Scars to Soulmates: A Nation\u2019s Women Embrace the Wounded"},"content":{"rendered":"

The matchmaking initiative Chiburei Barzel<\/em> (“Iron Bonds”) began as the small dream of one woman with a big heart\u2014and quickly turned into a source of hope for IDF wounded veterans from all fronts and battles. The idea was born from a deep sense of mission: to create a safe and authentic space for romantic connection for soldiers injured both physically and emotionally.<\/p>\n

With the help of matchmaker Racheli Huminer, Ossi Even Tzur developed a detailed questionnaire that allows participants to note their types of injuries and coping processes, along with “before and after” photos, to help potential matches see the person behind the story.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Reservists wounded in the war | Photo: Chaim Goldberg\/Flash90<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Record-Breaking Demand”
\n<\/strong>In the first few weeks alone, the site crashed under the weight of incoming traffic: hundreds of women from all over the country sought to join, and nearly 1,000 have already registered\u2014from all ages, backgrounds, and sectors. Dozens of wounded men who feel ready for a serious relationship have applied, and new matches are already forming. “They see the person first. That\u2019s what truly matters,” Ossi told news outlet Arutz 7<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Ongoing Professional Support
\n<\/strong>The project doesn\u2019t end at the matchmaking stage. Responding to needs that emerged from the field, certified relationship coaches have joined to accompany the couples throughout their journey. Additionally, a professional medical advice channel was launched, offering women insights into the implications of various injuries\u2014empowering them to make informed decisions with empathy and understanding.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Soldiers at the site of a terror attack | Photo: Jamal Awad\/Flash90<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Building Homes\u2014That\u2019s the True Victory”
\n<\/strong>Early signs of success are already visible. Several couples are in advanced stages of getting to know one another, and the impact goes beyond romantic connections. For many of the wounded, simply having the chance to love and rebuild is a source of hope.<\/p>\n

“They wanted to destroy,” Ossi said. “But we will build homes. There is no greater victory than that.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In only two months, nearly 1,000 women signed up for the ‘Iron Bonds’ matchmaking initiative, connecting wounded combat soldiers with women across Israel to build lasting relationships\u2014and the success stories are already emerging.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":27319,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77,2276,85],"tags":[6847,6844,4236,2846,2849,6846,6781,6845],"class_list":["post-27318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-idf","category-people","category-positive-moment","tag-civil-society-initiatives","tag-dating","tag-idf-soldiers","tag-inspiring","tag-israeli-society","tag-matchmaking","tag-positive-moment","tag-wounded-veterans"],"yoast_head":"\nFrom Battle Scars to Soulmates: A Nation\u2019s Women Embrace the Wounded - REGA news<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From Battle Scars to Soulmates: A Nation\u2019s Women Embrace the Wounded\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In only two months, nearly 1,000 women signed up for the 'Iron Bonds' matchmaking initiative, connecting wounded combat soldiers with women across Israel to build lasting relationships\u2014and the success stories are already emerging.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/from-battle-scars-to-soulmates-a-nations-women-embrace-the-wounded\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"REGA news\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-07T11:16:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/F060908yz10-1024x667.jpg.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"667\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"By Menachem Marton\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"By Menachem Marton\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/from-battle-scars-to-soulmates-a-nations-women-embrace-the-wounded\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/from-battle-scars-to-soulmates-a-nations-women-embrace-the-wounded\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"By Menachem Marton\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/85289d9583f8c0d96ade025fd71ebd5a\"},\"headline\":\"From Battle Scars to Soulmates: A Nation\u2019s Women Embrace the Wounded\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-07T11:16:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/from-battle-scars-to-soulmates-a-nations-women-embrace-the-wounded\/\"},\"wordCount\":353,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/from-battle-scars-to-soulmates-a-nations-women-embrace-the-wounded\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/F060908yz10-1024x667.jpg.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"civil society initiatives\",\"dating\",\"IDF Soldiers\",\"inspiring\",\"Israeli society\",\"matchmaking\",\"positive moment\",\"wounded veterans\"],\"articleSection\":[\"IDF\",\"PEOPLE\",\"POSITIVE\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/from-battle-scars-to-soulmates-a-nations-women-embrace-the-wounded\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/from-battle-scars-to-soulmates-a-nations-women-embrace-the-wounded\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/from-battle-scars-to-soulmates-a-nations-women-embrace-the-wounded\/\",\"name\":\"From Battle Scars to Soulmates: A Nation\u2019s Women Embrace the Wounded - 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