By Nativia Samuelsen

In a small hospital room in Jerusalem, a young Israeli mother cradles her newborn son. Her eyes are tired, her body weak, but her heart is full. Just a few months earlier, she had been alone, afraid, and moments away from choosing abortion. Today, she is a hopeful woman who chose life in the face of despair.

All across Israel, stories like this are unfolding; quiet, courageous stories of women who find themselves at impossible crossroads. Some are teenagers. Others are single mothers, survivors of abuse, trauma or addiction. Many are abandoned by partners, shunned by family, or struggling in poverty. And yet, in the middle of their crisis, they are choosing to say “Yes” to life.

By funding pro-life counsellors, providing baby supplies, and ensuring aid for these women for the first year after birth, the ICEJ is helping these mothers turn fear into faith and uncertainty into love.

Here are some their stories.

At just 26, Rachel found herself staring at a future she never expected: pregnant, abandoned, and utterly alone. Pressured by the baby’s father to end the pregnancy, and with no family to support her, she was nearly swallowed whole by fear. But when she was offered practical help, something shifted. Rachel paused… took a breath… and chose life.

Just a month before her due date, she was evicted from her apartment. With nowhere else to go, she moved in temporarily with the baby’s father – an unexpected shift that began to heal their broken relationship. Now a mother, she walks her baby through the neighbourhood in a pram, singing lullabies as she goes, grateful to be a mother.

In another corner of Jerusalem, Dana was juggling far more than most. At 39, she was caring for her disabled husband, plus children with special needs, while also managing her own spinal injury. The news of an unplanned pregnancy was overwhelming. She did not see a way forward. But with practical help and emotional support from an ICEJ sponsorship – including baby supplies and someone to talk to – she slowly began to feel less trapped. She chose to go forward with her pregnancy, and her son was soon born to a changed mother. Still scared but also much more grounded and resolved, Dana named him Lior, meaning “My Light.”

Support made the difference for Liat, too. Estranged from her ultra-Orthodox family, she faced a high-risk pregnancy completely alone. With no partner and no other plan, abortion felt like her only option. But after reaching out to local pro-life counsellors supported by ICEJ, the course of her story changed. Consistent help and loving care made all the difference. Hospitalised at 31 weeks, Liat finally called her sister. Two days later, her son was born and her parents, once distant, came to meet their grandson. It was a vital step into new beginnings.

Esther was younger than these other mothers, just 18, and she was 17 weeks pregnant when her boyfriend disappeared. Upon hearing about the pregnancy, her parents were furious and threatened to kick her out. Terrified and isolated, Esther saw abortion as the only way to keep things from completely falling apart. But with consistent encouragement from pro-life counsellors, she held on. The support did not change her situation overnight, but it helped her find the strength to face it. In time, her parents came around. Her mother stood beside her in the delivery room when baby Yonatan was born.

Each of these women stood at a crossroads, overwhelmed by fear or isolation, and found the stability to choose a different way forward. And with someone walking alongside them, what once felt impossible became manageable.

We may not be able to undo the pain, poverty or fear these women have faced, but we can respond with care, consistency and compassion. Light pushes back against despair, and sometimes even the smallest light is enough to change the direction of a life.

Thank you for helping the ICEJ give hope to those who are vulnerable and cannot see a promising future. Please continue to support our Future and Hope fund at: help.icej.org/future-hope

Main photo: Suhyeon Choi/Unsplash