Rebuilding the North

Financial Rehabilitation for Displaced Families

The war’s impact on northern Israel was unlike anywhere else. For over a year, families lived under fire – evacuated from their homes, cut off from their livelihoods, and forced to rebuild their lives from scratch. The financial damage runs deep, and for many, the road back is far from straightforward.

Paamonim has responded with a dedicated initiative designed specifically for families from the northern region. Our approach is comprehensive and community-rooted, adapted to the unique circumstances of each family we serve.

Every enrolled family receives a multi-layered support system, a personalized response that addresses both the immediate financial crisis and the longer-term path to stability. Drawing on years of accumulated expertise, Paamonim is uniquely positioned to meet families where they are: not only through direct financial guidance, but also by connecting them with other agents of change who can help them move forward.

These families held on through the hardest year. Help us help them rebuild.

👉 Support the Northern Families Program – and be part of their recovery.

My name is Shai. I’m a single mother to a nine year old, Eli.

I moved back to my hometown, Kibbutz Beit Zera, so Eli could grow up with the kind of community and values I had. But over the past two years, life there changed in ways we never expected.
The war reached us in every way. Schools shifted to online learning, the kids were home most of the day, expenses kept rising, and financial support from the kibbutz stopped.
At the time, I was in my second year of studying education and art, working toward building a future for us. But the financial pressure kept building. I hit a breaking point. My credit card was blocked, my credit score dropped, and the stress felt overwhelming.
That’s when I found the “Poalim Tzafona” program by Paamonim, in partnership with Bank Hapoalim.
The program was designed for people like me, families in the north dealing with the impact of the war and the rising cost of living. It gave me structured, personal financial guidance and real support.
Through one on one meetings, I learned how to build a budget, prioritize expenses, and create a plan I could actually stick to. For the first time, I was able to face my finances with clarity instead of fear.
I still remember my first meeting with Hila, my mentor from Ma’ale HaGalil. She helped me take all the chaos and turn it into something organized and manageable. From day one, I had a clear structure I could rely on.
Today, when I stand in front of my students at the school where I teach, I feel different. With the guidance I received and the determination I found in myself, I was able to pay off 30,000 shekels in debt.
There’s still a long road ahead. But today I know that even in an uncertain reality, with the right support and the right tools, it’s possible to build real financial stability and security for my family.

Nice to meet you, I’m Michal Maman.

I come from the world of pension insurance with 25 years of experience and a professional license. I am also the owner of a hospitality complex in Northern Israel, and always—without exception—driven by a deep commitment to social and community action.
My journey with Paamonim began nine years ago. After leaving my corporate career in insurance, I was searching for meaning. I wanted to give back to the community using my professional knowledge, but I wasn't quite sure how. The answer actually came from my former clients. They told me about Paamonim—sharing how, at the exact moment they felt financial control slipping through their fingers, this organization helped them find order, breathe again, and start a new chapter.
Today, in my ninth year of volunteering, I realize it’s about so much more than economics. It’s about giving a family peace of mind.
My Home, My North When the "Poalim Tzafona" (Poalim for the North) program was launched—a collaboration between Paamonim and Bank Hapoalim—it was clear to me that I had to be part of it. As a "Northerner" myself, the connection to the people and the region is part of my soul. I’ve seen families and entire communities endure an indescribable upheaval—uncertainty, displacement, and the loss of their most basic foundations.
In the North, I learned a lesson in resilience. I saw people who, even in the heart of the storm, showed inspiring responsibility and devotion to their families. My greatest challenge is to arrive with an open heart; when a family experiences such vulnerability, they don’t need judgment. They need someone to hold space for their emotional complexity alongside the Excel sheet.
I want to share a moment I’ll never forget: I worked with a family that started with a 32,000 NIS deficit. The sense of suffocation was present in every meeting. But slowly, through increased awareness, changing habits, and consistent work—without a single outside loan—I watched them bring that deficit down to just 3,000 NIS.
The change in the numbers was impressive, but the change in their faces was the true victory. The smiles returned, and peace of mind took the place of anxiety.
What does "Poalim Tzafona" mean to me? If I had to summarize this program in one sentence: It is the bridge that connects people to resources, provides practical tools, and allows them to return to stability safely.
I am a big believer in financial independence. My goal isn't just to "make it through the month," but to empower families with the resilience to stand on their own two feet. Because when there is someone to listen and guide you along the way, it is possible to rise again from any upheaval.

People sometimes ask me how I came to work in family financial counseling. The truth? My path started somewhere quite different.
 
I came to Paamonim after a long and successful career in banking, a very different world from the one I’m in today, even though in both, money is at the center of everything. A little over four years ago, I joined Paamonim as a family counselor in the Or Yehuda and Yehud area. Over time, I became a team leader and when the war broke out and the Economic Emergency Program program was launched, I was asked to join and lead one of its first two teams. I said yes without hesitation.
 
The first phase of the program ran for about a year, and at the end of 2025 I was called back to join the program in its new format. Today I lead a team of counselors, who are seasoned and experienced volunteers. Together, we support families and individuals from the north who have been affected by the war, primarily displaced persons, through the program run in partnership with Bank Hapoalim, though not exclusively.
 
At the same time, we also counsel reserve soldiers from various units, as part of Paamonim’s collaboration with the IDF.
 
This kind of counseling is different from our regular work. It is more complex, more sensitive, and asks our counselors to bring with them all of their experience, knowledge, and heart.
 
And yet — perhaps especially because of that, I feel deeply privileged to be part of this work.”
 
Moshe Cohen

Over the past year and a half, my journey has taken on a meaning that is difficult to put into words. As someone who accompanies the families of reservists and evacuees from the north through Paamonim’s “Economic Emergency Room” program, I have had the privilege of standing alongside the people who form the resilient home-front for all of us.

In the past year and a half, I have accompanied more than 100 families. Each one is a world unto itself, a story of everyday courage, of navigating uncertainty, and of a deep desire to protect their home, both the physical one and the financial one.

My connection with Paamonim began six years ago, as a student with a dream to lead and make an impact. I started as a volunteer, continued as a team leader, and today I am proud to say that Paamonim is my home, both as a staff member managing the organization’s student network and as a counselor on the ground.

I am grateful for this privilege every single day. This work is not only about giving, I receive from these families inspiration, strength, and a life lesson about resilience and the ability to change reality, even when it is challenging.

We are here to ensure that no family faces the economic struggle alone.

Yarden Neria