A Summer Retreat for Naomi and Ruth

Naomi and Ruth returned from nearby Moab broken by the death of a son to one, a husband to the other. When they arrived in Bethlehem, Naomi refused to acknowledge her name, which means ‘delightful’ and ‘pleasant’, and asked her old neighbors to now call her ‘Mara’, meaning bitter.
This is what devastating loss can do.

This summer, OneFamily, Israel’s leading organization supporting victims of terror and war, is coming alongside modern-day Ruths and Naomis, widows and their mothers-in-law. They are offering powerful therapeutic retreats for these hurting women and other grieving families taking their first steps toward healing.

“These women have lost the same person—but from entirely different angles. One carried him. One built a life with him. And after the funeral, most people don’t know what to do with that kind of complexity. But we do,” said Naomi Nussbaum, Executive Director of OneFamily US, based in Teaneck, NJ.

These are not ordinary getaways. They are lifelines for those navigating unfathomable pain—the kind of loss that upends every part of life. Each retreat is tailored to a specific population, including orphans who are now being raised by extended family, and widows attending together with their mothers-in-law, each mourning the same beloved man: a husband to one, a son to the other.

Everyone has lost someone

“Every person we serve has lost someone they love in the most devastating way,” Nussbaum said. “Some are children who lost both parents. Others are siblings, spouses, or parents of fallen soldiers. They’re all asking: How do I keep going—and how do I do it beside others who are also drowning in grief?”

At the heart of these retreats is a program designed for healing, not just grieving. “The retreat took place in nature and featured a full program of therapeutic workshops: ceramics, kayaking, guided photography, and heart-centered communication sessions. Two nourishing meals were served throughout the day, and OneFamily’s expert therapists were present throughout—offering support, guidance, and the kind of sensitive facilitation that allowed each woman to open up at her own pace,” Nussbaum shared.

Founded in 2002, OneFamily’s therapeutic approach recognizes that trauma affects entire family systems. When a child moves in with their aunt and uncle after losing a parent, the grief is shared—but expressed differently by everyone involved.

“Often, the extended family is still mourning the sibling they lost,” said Nussbaum. “And now, they’re stepping into the enormous role of parenting a traumatized child. That changes family dynamics. The cousins are no longer just playmates—they’re now siblings. We help these new adoptive families build healthy communication, honor each other’s pain, and move forward with compassion, not comparison.”

Bound by grief

At another recent retreat, OneFamily brought together widows and their mothers-in-law—two women bound by love and grief for the same person. “There can be tension between generations when grief is expressed differently,” Nussbaum explained. “We give them space to feel heard and supported, and we offer tools to help them rebuild trust and care for each other as they both learn to live without him.”

Participants were invited to see one another with new eyes. “Each participant was invited to take three photographs of her counterpart: one that captured her strength. One that revealed her softness. One that reflected who she is—through the lens of shared grief,” Nussbaum wrote. At one point, a bereaved mother-in-law held up her photo of her daughter-in-law and said, ‘She’s the treasure. The part of Omri that lives in her—that’s my treasure.’ That was the kind of sacred truth that filled the day.”

There were no lectures. No formal speeches. “Just shared silence, warm food, handmade mugs, meaningful photographs, and women giving each other permission to cry, to laugh, and to speak about their sons and husbands in the present tense. Because grief doesn’t end. But neither does love,” said Nussbaum.

Since its founding in 2001, OneFamily has supported more than 7,000 bereaved and wounded families across Israel—Jews, Muslims, Druze, and Christians alike—offering them direct financial assistance, trauma therapy, mentorship, and long-term emotional support from a loving community.

This summer, OneFamily’s retreats are helping survivors reclaim their strength, rediscover hope, and realize they are not alone. “We are not alone. And our love for him is still alive—in each other,” Nussbaum reflected. “OneFamily believes healing happens in relationships—when we dare to show up for one another in the hardest moments. And this retreat was exactly that. A day for connection. A day for courage. A day for two women to hold onto one man’s memory—together.”

And like Naomi at the end of her story, these women are finding there is a future worth living for.

To support OneFamily’s work with the survivors of terror in Israel, visit overcometerror.com.

–Clem Boyd and Dwight Widaman