RA’ANANA — Esther, a 36-year-old woman in Ra’anana, Israel, gave birth to her daughter Hallel after enduring a 15-hour labor while her husband served in the Israel Defense Forces. The birth occurred during the conflict that began on October 7, 2023, with Esther standing for hours without a bed at an overcrowded hospital and facing a prolonged recovery that delayed her ability to hold her newborn.

Esther was born in New York and moved to Israel in 2005 at the age of 15. She completed two years of national service in the Gaza border area before studying glass and ceramic design at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem. She later worked at a company called Artza. Esther met her husband Yonah through the company, and the couple initially lived in Tel Aviv before having two daughters, Mia and Hallel.

Yonah received a call from the army on the morning of October 7, 2023, while he was preparing to leave for synagogue. He answered a second call from his reserve unit after returning home, at which point he informed Esther that Hamas had infiltrated southern Israel. Esther went to a shelter alone during a second siren while Yonah processed the news.

The couple heard reports of approximately 70 deaths and the Nova music festival massacre that day. Esther asked Yonah if he had a will, expressing fear that she would not know his fate if his body could not be found.

"I told him, if something happens, I don’t care about our stuff. I need to know what happens to me. If something happens to you and they can’t find your body, how long do I have to wait before I’m considered not married anymore? I do not want to be an agunah, Esther said."

Yonah responded by stating he could not accept the premise of the conversation. I cannot wrap my head around that. We’re not discussing this. I’m alive, I’m fine," Yonah said."

Yonah was called up to serve with reserve unit 551, an elite paratrooper reservist unit, on the evening of October 7, 2023. Esther stayed with her in-laws after his departure. Her aunt in the United States suggested she leave Israel to recuperate, and Yonah encouraged her to go to ensure her mental stability.

Esther flew on an evacuation flight to Poland and then to Florida, where she stayed with her aunt for several weeks before returning to Israel. Upon her return, she began volunteering while Yonah served in Gaza.

During his deployment, Yonah wrote a letter to Esther, and a commander texted her a photo of it. She wrote a physical response to the letter. Yonah left Gaza and reunited with Esther after one month.

In late December 2023, one member of Yonah’s unit was killed and another was severely injured. The unit was released from reserve duty at the start of January 2024. Yonah later described the emotional dynamic of their separation in a letter, stating, "I need to have a real conversation with you. I understand that it’s really scary for you and that you have no control over your hormones, and it’s a wild situation that you’re pregnant and I’m here. But I need you to be my rock. I need to be able to talk to you about what I’m going through and where I’m going. So you need to figure out what you need to do in order to become my support system because that’s what I need right now in order to survive."

Esther was 26 weeks pregnant with Hallel when the war began. At 35 weeks, she began experiencing contractions that persisted for three weeks. She went into labor at 4 a.m. when she was 38 weeks pregnant.

Esther and Yonah went to Ichilov Hospital for the birth. The hospital’s maternity unit was overloaded with patients evacuated from northern and southern Israel. Hospital staff told Esther she was not far enough along to receive a bed immediately. She stood at the front of the hospital for eight hours during her labor. Esther labored for 15 hours before giving birth.

Esther underwent a six-month recovery after giving birth. She had reparative surgery two months after Hallel was born. She could not hold her baby until the child was four months old. After Hallel was born, Esther and Yonah moved to Ra’anana.