This Father’s Day, WIZO is changing the conversation.

For the first time in Israel, WIZO has launched a groundbreaking initiative to support men facing one of the most emotionally complex moments of their lives: becoming a father during wartime.

The programme, titled “A Father Is Born,” offers a safe space for new fathers to process their experiences, share their struggles and gain the tools they need to be present, connected, and emotionally resilient.

This pioneering initiative was created in response to a growing and urgent need. Transitioning from couplehood to parenthood is a monumental shift in any context — but for men returning from reserve duty, it can feel disorienting, lonely and overwhelming. One participant admitted, “Little by little, I feel like the army is my home… and home feels like outside.” Another described, “I just shut my brain off. I don’t know how to connect what happened there with here… so I walk around with a disconnected mind.”

WIZO’s research paints a concerning picture: 1 in 10 men in Israel has witnessed physical violence by another man toward a partner or child. Nearly 70% say the security situation has increased their stress, and 75% report rising economic pressure. When men lack emotional outlets and support, that stress can build into frustration — and sometimes, violence.

Through A Father Is Born, WIZO offers an alternative: eight facilitated group sessions where fathers can talk, reflect and grow. Led by experienced male therapists, the groups explore the emotional impact of fatherhood, the tensions within relationships and how to move through this transitional phase with clarity and strength. The programme is held at WIZO daycare centres and participating workplaces across the country, normalising support for fathers as part of parenting culture.

One of the facilitators, Avihu Siton, is not only a trained group leader — he’s also living the experience he helps others navigate. “During this war, my wife gave birth to our daughter. She’s just over a year old now, and we have two other kids at home, ages four and six. I’m about to start my fourth round of reserve duty. The birth changed the dynamics at home in a very complex way. When I’m away, I’m always thinking about her being alone with the kids. I’m holding two fronts, carrying constant guilt.”

“When I come home for short breaks, I try to make up for everything all at once — without resting. But then I don’t have the energy to go back to the army. It’s like a trap: no sleep in Gaza, no sleep at home. There’s a constant struggle between Avihu the soldier, and Avihu the father and husband. The workshop helps create clarity in this chaos. It helps you realise you’re not broken. That it’s okay to come home and say, ‘I need two days of quiet.’ The guilt is a trap — and sharing that with others, learning how to talk to your partner about it, and understanding the values that guide you — that’s powerful.”

Another father added, “A moment I love in fatherhood? I have a six-month-old daughter who doesn’t know me, and I don’t know her — and I love every second of getting to know her.”

“This transition is hard at any time,” says Tali Weissman-Gantz, clinical social worker and head of WIZO’s Domestic Violence Prevention Programmes. “But during wartime, the challenges multiply. The emotional toll of war doesn’t end at the front — it enters the home. Our mission is to give fathers the tools they need to reconnect, reengage, and reparent — safely.”

A Father Is Born is carried out in collaboration with the Red Lines Initiative from Shitufim and with the support of the Kavim Leshinui Foundation. The programme was developed with the guidance of Dr. Yair Apter, a leading psychotherapist with more than 25 years of experience in working with men, couples, and groups.

Ten pilot groups are running across the country between May and August 2025, from Nahariya and Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and Be’er Sheva. The vision is clear: to prevent domestic violence at its root by supporting men — not punishing them when it’s too late, but guiding them when it still matters most.

A Father Is Born is more than a support programme. It’s a new model for emotional resilience and violence prevention in Israel — built on empathy, not shame. It’s about giving men the permission to feel, to speak, and to ask for help. Because when fathers are supported, families are stronger — and society becomes safer for everyone.