Special Jerusalem Hotel Serves as Haven for Women After Stillbirth

Moriel Yamin was six months pregnant when Hamas terrorists attacked the police station near her home in Sderot, killing 35 people. Her husband, a reservist soldier, was called up, and like most residents, Yamin was evacuated. In November, she experienced severe contractions and was hospitalized for two weeks. A month later, during a routine checkup, she was told her baby was in distress, leading to an emergency caesarean section.

Tragically, three days after her daughter Shira Chaya was born, the infant passed away. Yamin held her deceased daughter for hours, unable to let go. “The doctor told me, ‘Death won’t make her more beautiful,’ but I kept thinking, ‘How can I let them take her from me?’” she recalled.

In mid-January, still grieving, Yamin and her husband checked into a new center in Jerusalem for women and couples coping with stillbirth and perinatal loss. Operated by Yad Sarah, Israel’s largest volunteer organization, this unique facility offers full-board dining, spa amenities, emotional support services, workshops, and access to mental health professionals to help them adjust to their loss away from their regular lives.

The center welcomes women from 20 weeks of pregnancy up to four months after birth. It provides a refuge for first-time mothers like Yamin and those with larger families, reflecting Israel’s high birth rate among developed countries.

Dr. Chana Katan, a gynecologist and the center’s medical authority, emphasizes the importance of this support. “It doesn’t matter how many children you have, you never, ever get over the experience,” she said. “We aim to give these women hope and support in their recovery while they try to process what happened to them.”

Located on the sixth floor of Yad Sarah’s Yirmiyahu 33 Rehabilitation and Wellness Hotel, the center is part of Israel’s only fully accessible hotel for people with disabilities. Nightly stays are heavily subsidized, and couples pay 350 NIS ($93) per night, reclaimable from health insurance for up to four nights. Since opening last July, it has hosted 470 couples, mostly stillbirth sufferers.

Yamin’s situation was unique due to the neonatal death and her status as an evacuee, extending their stay from four nights to two months. Another organization, Keren Ohr, offers guesthouses for couples facing stillbirth and fertility challenges. Internationally, Jewish fertility nonprofits provide similar support, but Yad Sarah’s center is the first of its kind in the world.

Ronit Calderon-Margalit, from the School of Public Health at Hebrew University and Hadassah Medical Center, noted Israel’s growing awareness of the grief faced by these women. A 2017 law extended full birth rights to women experiencing pregnancy loss after 22 weeks, reflecting increased recognition of their struggles.

Aimee Baron, from the Jewish fertility support organization I Was Supposed to Have a Baby, praised the center’s comprehensive services. “People carry this pain with them for the rest of their lives,” she said. “These respite centers bring necessary support to the forefront.”

Dr. Katan, who founded the IVF unit at Laniado Hospital and herself experienced stillbirth, must approve all admissions. She advises against arriving directly from the hospital, emphasizing the need for physical healing post-procedure.

The majority of guests are haredi Orthodox women, reflecting their higher birth rates and consequently more frequent experiences of miscarriage and stillbirth. Israel’s birth rate averages 3.0 children per woman, with haredi families having more than double that number.

Shifra, a haredi woman, shared her experience of losing her baby at 27 weeks. After the painful ordeal, she and her husband found comfort at the center. “It was lovely to be in such a gorgeous, new environment and very comforting to be around other women who understood what you’ve gone through,” she said.

Yamin, who found strength in her community and faith, praised the center’s staff and volunteers. “Bringing Shira Chaya’s soul into this world was the greatest privilege of my life,” she said. “The support we received gave me infinite strength.”

As Yamin faces her husband’s return to reserve duty, she contemplates her personal trial against the backdrop of national needs. “He’s an idealist, he lives for Am Yisrael,” she said. “I often ask myself if I can put aside my own private trial for that of our nation. What’s the right thing to do? Am I important or is Am Yisrael? They need him but then so do I.”

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