Susan R. Eisenstein – Itamar Hayun – Israel – Homes For Warriors
Houses for warriors fighting for the future for reserve combatants.
Community. Home. stability.
A national initiative born from the fractures of the past three years, seeking to correct a historical injustice. Israel’s reserve fighters deserve stability, a strong community, and the ground to build a new life. It’s time to make it a reality – it’s in our hands!
Homes for Warriors is a national initiative bringing together over 5,000 Israeli reserve soldiers, helping combat veterans and their families build homes and communities in the Negev and Galilee.
We’ve already helped families relocate to communities near Gaza, and we’re now raising funds and partnerships to help the next 100 families establish their homes in northern and southern Israel.
The video represents something truly special: unprecedented support from political leaders across the entire Israeli political spectrum. Everyone agrees that those who fought for our home deserve a home of their own.
I’ll also be attending the JNF-USA Global Conference in San Diego this November to connect with potential partners and donors.
Our website: homeforwarriors.org
Homeforwarriors.org is the site of בתים ללוחמים (“Homes for Warriors”), an Israeli national initiative founded by reservist combat soldier and author Itamar Hayun. It works to secure housing, land, and strong communities for IDF reserve soldiers and their families—especially in strategic areas such as the Gaza envelope, Negev, and Galilee—so those who fought for the country can build stable homes and reinforce border communities after the post-October 7 period.
BIO for Itamar Hayun
Itamar Hayun (Hebrew: איתמר חיון) is an Israeli combat reservist, author, social entrepreneur, business consultant, lecturer, and podcaster in his early-to-mid 30s. He is the founder of the national initiative Homes for Warriors (בתים ללוחמים / homeforwarriors.org)
Early life and military service
He grew up on the Carmel in Haifa and now lives in Moshav Avihayil in the Hefer Valley. He is a single father to a young son, Yonatan. He served in the IDF’s Givati Brigade, specifically in a Sapper (engineering and demolitions) unit, and continues as an active combat reservist (rank referenced as Sergeant First Class in some reports). After his regular service, around 2014, he learned while traveling in South America that Hadar Goldin—a soldier from his unit—had been captured by Hamas. He later spent about four years in the United States, where he built and managed a business with multiple employees, before returning to Israel because he felt he did not belong there.
Since the October 7, 2023 attacks, he has completed multiple intensive reserve deployments (at least five, totaling hundreds of days) in Gaza and Judea and Samaria. His unit was among the first to enter Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip, with missions involving clearing areas and demolishing structures using explosives. He has described combat experiences including close calls with sniper fire and the loss of comrades, as well as being near the Nova music festival site in the early days after the attacks.
Career as entrepreneur, mentor, and author
Hayun has worked for over a decade as a business consultant and mentor, guiding dozens of entrepreneurs and small-business owners. He has run a podcast with more than 100 episodes and developed practical methods focused on mindset, resilience, entrepreneurship, and teamwork. He previously authored books such as Mindset of Champions (מיינדסט של אלופים), Building a Business Easily, and works related to podcasting and business methods.
His most recent book, The Elite Warrior Mindset (available in both Hebrew and English), draws directly from his post-October 7 experiences. It covers mental tools for combat and high-pressure situations—focus, discipline, teamwork, historical identity, managing fear—and how these translate to civilian life and business. He positions it especially for young adults and has spoken about it in media and podcasts while pursuing further international outreach.
Homes for Warriors
The housing initiative grew from a personal moment after returning from more than 70 days of Gaza fighting to a rented apartment. Realizing many fellow reservists faced the same instability despite their sacrifices, he founded Homes for Warriors with the slogan “Those who fight for a home deserve a home.” The project aims to connect combat reservists and their families with land, housing, and strong communities in strategic areas (Gaza envelope, Negev, Galilee, and other border/periphery regions). The dual goals are practical housing support and national resilience by placing trained fighters and their families in areas where rapid response and demographic strength matter. It has grown to involve thousands of families/fighters, partnerships with regional councils and other bodies, advocacy for policy (including a national housing covenant), and early steps toward settlement and relocation.
Hayun frequently appears in Israeli and international media, lectures on resilience and entrepreneurship, and continues balancing reserve service with these projects. His public profile centers on turning personal and national challenges into practical action for individuals and communities.
