When Israel goes to war, the immediate focus is on security. Sirens, shelters, and the safety of loved ones dominate the national conversation as families count the seconds between alarms and the next quiet moment.

Within days, another reality begins to unfold across the country: the economic strain on families, businesses, and communities.

Reservists leave their workplaces for weeks or months at a time. Small businesses lose employees, customers, or both. Parents struggle to balance work with children home from school. Nonprofits see demand for services surge just as their resources become more uncertain.

These pressures rarely make headlines, but they shape how resilient a society remains during prolonged conflict. Over the past weeks, as Israel’s war with Iran has escalated, these challenges have once again surfaced across the country.

We are hearing from small business owners trying to keep their operations running as key staff members serve in reserve duty. Families are navigating sudden income disruptions while also managing the emotional and logistical strain of war. Community organizations are stepping in to help vulnerable populations even as their own financial stability becomes uncertain.

In moments like these, economic resilience becomes as important as physical resilience. Ensuring that stability exists within communities

In response to the current war, as Israel’s Financial First Responders, Ogen has opened an emergency socio-economic command center to provide rapid financial support to families, small businesses, and nonprofits affected by the conflict, allocating up to NIS 100 million in emergency assistance.

Within the first few weeks of the escalation, the scale of demand has been striking. Ogen has already received over 1,000 new requests for business credit, alongside more than 150 inquiries from nonprofit organizations, reflecting the surge in community needs during wartime. Among households and individuals, demand has also accelerated, with over 3,000 requests from households seeking emergency support and financial guidance.

At the same time, over 1,000 requests for financial assistance have come directly from reservists and their families, a significant share through Keren Yuval, Ogen’s dedicated lending program, underscoring the growing financial strain on households whose primary earners have been called into extended reserve duty. Together, these numbers provide an early indication of the economic pressure already building across Israeli society.

For almost three years, we have seen this trend. Immediate fallout of rockets is replaced with lasting financial damage. Ogen has consistently experienced surging demands in these moments and we are proud to be there when it matters most. 

Resiliency is a term used often and its true, so many tumultuous moments yet families, organizations and small businesses are finding ways to push through. My concern is that finance alone is not enough. I urge our potential borrowers to reach out and find guidance and financial coaching alongside access to credit. The knowledge and power of staff and our community is there to drive sustained resilience and in some cases turn it into growth. 

As the war enters its fourth week, I am hopeful that this incredibly difficult will end soon and enable us to focus on economic growth amidst a securer region.

Eldan joined Ogen in August 2022 to lead the strategic partnerships and manage donor and investor relations worldwide. With 15 years of experience in the third sector in Israel, the UK, and the US, Eldan began his career in leadership development in non-profit organizations and pre-army leadership academies. In the last decade, he has been leading development and partnership-building teams in leading organizations throughout the Jewish world. Before joining Ogen, Eldan was the Partnerships Director at the Darca School network and was a member of the senior management team. Beforehand, he relocated to England as part of his role as Regional Director for UJIA. Building this role for the first time, Eldan led a team of fundraisers and educators across the Northern communities of England and Scotland. Under his stewardship, the association’s income was doubled and the impact of many young people was expanded significantly through their relationship to Israel. Previously, Eldan managed the Abraham Fund Initiatives’ fundraising efforts in Israel and Europe. Eldan has a BA in History of the Middle East and Africa from Tel Aviv University. He is married to Hila and father to three adorable children – Lily, Ilay and Gil.