It’s been six years since Aharon Rose completed his mandatory military service in the Israeli Defense Forces elite combat unit “Maglan” and returned to the U.S., where he was born. But when the Israeli-American was called to join reserve duty after Oct. 7 and enter Gaza with his combat reserve unit — the paratroopers’ 551st Brigade — he didn’t hesitate. He fought on the front lines for four months. Although it wasn’t his first experience in battle, Rose found that returning to South Florida, the war had changed him in ways no one back home could understand.

“I was one of the first to go to Gaza. There was no question in my mind. But after returning, I felt like I was in a dark place,” Rose told eJewishPhilanthropy.

“When I started talking to my friends in the U.S. about some of the stories from the war, I realized they didn’t really understand me. It wasn’t that they lacked empathy — they just couldn’t get it,” Rose added. “There’s nothing like the connection you have with someone who’s been through the same experience. And I thought, if I feel this way, there must be more people here feeling the same.”

Rose was right — approximately 10,000 individuals residing in the United States responded to Israeli military draft notices as part of a broader mobilization of some 360,000 reserve troops, according to Israeli officials who spoke to The Washington Post. A few hundred came from South Florida, where there is a large Israeli community.

Rose wrote a post about his feelings and asked his friend and mentor Eran Hazan, the founder and CEO of the South Florida-based nonprofit Yedidim USA, which maintains a volunteer base of over 800 people, to share it on his viral social account.

“Fifteen people responded,” Rose said. “We met, and the conversation was electrifying. We started meeting regularly, and that became the foundation of our support group. We continued these meetings to share stories and experiences, gaining strength and thinking about creating a space for others to join.”

Seeing how these meetings helped Rose and his new friends cope with the trauma of war, Hazan sought to establish a new center in Miami — the Israeli Veterans Club — through Yedidim, which means “friends” in Hebrew.

Yedidim was already helping those in crisis, such as during the Champlain Towers collapse in Surfside, Fla., providing 55,000 hot meals — a contribution that earned Hazan recognition from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. After the war began, the organization established a center in Hollywood, Fla., that delivered 900 tons of supplies to Israel.

“After the soldiers came back from Gaza, the challenges they faced — like dealing with [post-traumatic stress disorder] and finding jobs — became apparent,” Hazan said. “We’re supporting them mentally and also providing financial aid, job opportunities and other post-service needs. We’re committed to this effort and will continue, hoping that every soldier in need will be able to get the therapy and help they need in our club, which is the first of its kind in the U.S.”

The club will open its doors this weekend and already has a list of about 100 IDF veterans who want to join. Part of the treatments offered will include a technique developed by Yaron Seidman, an Israeli living in South Florida, called Blisswave Journey, to treat PTSD, emotional stress and anxiety. His treatment, which is based on Eastern medicine, uses calming audio frequencies and images, as well as mindfulness techniques and meditation.

Hazan, who gathered the donations to buy the house and fund other activities like lectures, business and tax mentoring, and wellness treatments, has already decided who will run the IDF veterans’ house in South Florida. “Aharon is still young, but he is talented and has all the capabilities to take over. I will mentor him, and I hope and believe this model will inspire other places — our veterans deserve it.”

Rose added: “This initiative is about helping people get back to who they are.”