Lori Palatnik: Giving newlywed IDF soldiers hope and a home to return to

Who is Lori, and what is her new mission?

Lori Palatnik is no stranger to helping people. As founding director of Momentum (formerly the Jewish Woman’s Renaissance Project), she has long been at the forefront of NGO activity to strengthen Jewish identity, particularly among young mothers. But amid the ongoing war, the renowned Jewish educator, speaker, writer and media personality, while leading Momentum Unity Missions to Israel, has also helped other organizations jumpstart a heartwarming initiative: to help IDF soldiers have the wedding of their dreams. Or at the very least, have a wedding registry.

How is this initiative unique in Israel?

Mostly seen in the US and the UK, wedding registries are essentially a list of gifts the newlywed couple wants, which guests can then buy for them. This is a rare service in Israel, where newlyweds are traditionally given money rather than physical gifts. However, it does exist, and the ones who arguably need it the most are young couples whose wedding plans were ruined by the massacre and subsequent war. And that is why she partnered with Thank Israeli Soldiers and WIZO and is currently in talks with Hadassah Hospital to help these soldiers have a well-equipped home to return to.

Lori, how did you get the idea to do wedding registries in Israel?

I’m seeing soldiers getting married on army bases, and they’re not getting the wedding of their dreams.

So I found a wedding registry in Israel and I spoke to Thank Israeli Soldiers, an NGO that does things for Israeli soldiers, like providing equipment and post-army support, because this is something we could do – not just to thank them but give them hope – to let them know that we’re family and part of the simcha.

How do the soldiers know who gave them gifts?

The way wedding registries work is that when somebody buys you something, you receive a notice. So now, you’re out there with a gun in the cold, and then your phone goes *ding* and you see that someone in Atlanta, who you don’t know, has bought you dishes. And now the soldiers can sit there and imagine their tables with these dishes or glasses, and it gives them hope for the future.

Tell us more about the registries.

Each couple writes about their love story, why they got engaged, where they’re serving, how they met, what happened to their wedding plans. They select what they want on their registry, and people can buy them different things. Some of the couples send thank-you notes to the people who bought them gifts.

The registries themselves are from 4UGifts, which was set up by an olah.

What, to you, epitomizes a simcha, a happy occasion?

My rabbi taught me that the definition of a simcha is knowing there will be future happiness – something IDF soldiers getting married embody.

What do you plan to do next?

When things are over and we’re victorious, we want to have a celebration – a gathering of all these couples who come together. True simcha is knowing there will be future happiness. Let’s all give them this at a time that they need it most – that time is now.

Where can one get more information?

To help support an engaged IDF couple, check out the registries and love stories: 4ugifts.co.il

If you’re an engaged IDF couple and would like to sign up for a wedding registry of your own, click on: forms.gle/bfoQrUCgaT8CofiU6

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