In the aftermath of October 7, Israeli women are at the forefront of rebuilding and renewal – driving resilience, innovation, and hope across the nation.
Rebuilding with Purpose
Kylie Eisman Lifschitz is an Israeli social entrepreneur who, in the wake of the October 7 attacks, founded She Rise and the KUMI programme to help women in Israel’s Western Negev rebuild shattered lives and communities through economic empowerment. Recognising that women are often the backbone of recovery in times of crisis, she’s mobilised over 1.5 million NIS in funding to support women-led businesses, local producers and grassroots initiatives in towns and kibbutzim devastated by the attacks.
Through She Rise and KUMI, Kylie connects women entrepreneurs to mentors, seed funding, and training – helping them launch or revive small businesses that sustain families and restore hope. Her vision is to turn tragedy into renewal by putting economic resilience and women’s leadership at the heart of the Negev’s recovery.
A taste of healing for October 7 survivors and displaced families
After tragically losing her ex-husband, chocolatier Dvir Karp, in the Hamas massacre on October 7th, Reut Karp transformed her grief into action by launching Café Otef, a growing chain of community cafés honouring his memory and supporting survivors like her. The cafés employ displaced residents from devastated kibbutzim near the Gaza border, offering them meaningful work and a place to rebuild lives uprooted by terror.
Sourcing fresh produce, cheeses, honey, and chocolates directly from the affected kibbutzim, Café Otef keeps local farms and small businesses alive while expanding branches in Tel Aviv, Rehovot, Sderot and beyond. For Reut, each cup of coffee and pastry served is an act of resilience – a way to nourish her community, sustain her late husband’s legacy, and remind Israelis that hope, solidarity and life endure even after the darkest day.
The women behind the Dinah Report
A pioneering all-female team of legal and gender experts – led by Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, retired judge Nava Ben-Or, and former military prosecutor Col. Sharon Zagagi-Pinhas (pictured left, from top) – has just published a landmark report under the Dinah Project. Titled ‘A Quest for Justice: October 7 and Beyond,’ the 84-page study documents at least 15 cases of sexual violence during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks, based on survivor testimony, witness accounts, first-responder interviews, and forensic evidence.
Presented to First Lady Michal Herzog on July 8, 2025, the report not only confirms that sexual violence was widespread and systematic – employed as a tactical weapon of war – but also offers a new legal framework to pursue accountability under international law.
Historic first
For the first time in Israel Air Force history, a female pilot and female navigator flew a fighter jet together during Operation Rising Lion, the IAF announced recently. Though unplanned, the milestone highlights the IAF’s growing gender equality, with more women taking on front-line combat and leadership roles than ever before. ●
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