The two young women sit around a table in the cafeteria of Utopia Orchid Park at Kibbutz Bahan in the Sharon region, counting off names on their fingers. Around them, children weave between tables while groups of women gather in hushed conversation or bursts of laughter.

“Sixteen!” Shai-Li says confidently.

“No, we’re 17,” her friend Jessica argues.

They go over the names again, counting them one by one. Finally, they reach an agreement.

“OK. We are 17 new widows or widowers from Kfar Aza since the massacre,” Shai-Li announces, almost triumphantly.

The contrast between this conversation and the peaceful surroundings of the lush nature park in the Hefer Valley is jarring. But for these young mothers, the past 23 months have been far worse than jarring. Their reality since Oct. 7, 2023,

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