On October 7, 2023, when Israeli singer and actor Idan Amedi grabbed his equipment and rushed to the frontlines as part of his reserve unit, his wife Miriam Amedi found herself alone at home with their children—Yaeli, nearly four, and Yehonatan, four months old.
Still on maternity leave, she faced the daunting task of managing fear and maintaining a stable home while worrying daily about her husband’s safety in combat. “Like many reservists’ wives, I was thrust into a journey of anxiety and coping, figuring out how to keep the household joyful and sane amidst constant concern,” she recounted in an interview with Ynet.
In a bold move, Miriam cut her maternity leave short to return to her role as director of Link 20, an Israeli organization advocating for people with disabilities. Despite the challenges of balancing work, childcare and worry for Idan, she felt compelled to act.
“In crises, vulnerable populations suffer most, so I knew I had to return, even if it meant juggling multiple fronts,” she said. While Idan was initially stationed on the Lebanon border, they stayed in touch, seeing him three times before his injury.
On January 8, 2024, as Miriam returned home from an outing with her children, an unknown number called. “A man named Effi from the army said, ‘Idan’s seriously injured. People will pick you up soon. Arrange childcare,’” she recalled.
Stunned, she hung up, doubting it was real, but a friend, a brigade commander, confirmed the news. Rushing to the hospital where Idan was airlifted, she arrived just after his parents, seeing him before emergency surgery.
“It was hard to recognize him,” Miriam admitted, taking a breath. “He was soot-covered, swollen from the blast, burned, without eyebrows or lashes, with a shrapnel wound in his neck. But he was intact and doctors said there was no apparent head injury.” Idan had briefly woken in the helicopter, speaking a few words, which gave her some calm.
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After surgery and intensive care, he began recovery two days later, a process Miriam described as a world of its own. “Rehabilitation reshapes family and marital roles, especially when a man goes from a fighter to patient needing care—a sharp transition many Israeli families face,” she said.
Miriam recently became CEO of the Reservists’ Wives Forum, her first interview in this role and about her personal experience. “For 21 months, reservists’ wives have managed immense responsibilities at home and beyond,” she said.
“Our family endured four months of intense reserve duty followed by rehabilitation but sustaining nearly two years of call-ups while returning to work is exhausting, especially when others don’t always care that your spouse is serving.”
As Israel debates conscription laws for the ultra-Orthodox community, Miriam sees her role as a mission. Idan’s press conference after his injury was a turning point. “I don’t like the spotlight but I realized I could no longer stay uninvolved. We both saw a greater purpose,” she said.
Despite her fear of exposure, she admired the forum’s women, who, while she was in survival mode, carried a public torch for change. “I wanted to drive change too and now, inside the forum, I believe in our power to make a difference,” she said. Idan supported her, saying, “Good luck, be ready.”
Amid the heated conscription debate, Miriam and the forum aim to convince the government that more soldiers are needed for national security, driven by numbers, not opposition. “This is the need of the hour,” she said.
For reservists’ families, the absence of fathers for two summers is profound, with a third of the year spent disconnected from family and life. When asked on Idan’s health, she said, “Thank God, he’s much better but like many reservist and wounded families, our journey still continues.”
Data from the Reservists’ Wives Forum reveals a stark toll: 80% of reservists’ wives report despair and hopelessness, 30% turned to increased use of medications, alcohol or drugs during the war and 20% considered self-harm in the first three months.
Additionally, 30% of reservists and their partners faced workplace discrimination, while 85% of self-employed reservists reported significant income losses. Miriam urged decision-makers to face these realities and bolster military support.