From Tragedy to New Life: A Widow’s Journey to Motherhood After Loss

In a remarkable story of love enduring beyond death, Hadas Levy made history on June 11 as the first woman to give birth to a child fathered by a soldier killed in Israel’s war against Hamas. Her fiancé, Captain Netanel Silberg, was killed in combat in Gaza in December 2023, months after the devastating October 7 attack that claimed 1,200 Israeli lives. Their love story began on a blind date arranged by friends in May 2022, where Levy was immediately struck by Silberg’s old-world charm and striking appearance. “He was very handsome. He came to pick me up and waited for me outside his car, like a man from another era,” Levy recalled to Fox News Digital. “He was tall, well-built, and when he removed his glasses, he had the most beautiful green eyes. He was the whole package.” Their relationship blossomed quickly, but their dreams of a future together were interrupted by the outbreak of war.

When the October 7 attacks occurred, Silberg felt compelled to serve despite being exempt due to his age and rank. “I kept telling him not to go, but he was restless,” Levy remembered. Despite her pleas, Silberg joined the first wave of soldiers deployed to Gaza. During a brief leave in November, he proposed to Levy, buying her a ring and making their engagement official, though they never had a formal celebration. The couple never discussed contingency plans—what might happen if he didn’t return—because in their minds, such an outcome “wasn’t an option.” Then came December 18, 2023, the day that would forever alter Levy’s life. She experienced an inexplicable physical reaction that morning: “I’m not a spiritual person, but I felt such intense nausea that I had to spit into a garbage can. I went home early, and it turned out the nausea struck at the same time he was killed.” Since they weren’t yet married, Levy learned of Silberg’s death not through official channels but from a heartbreaking phone call from his mother.

It was during this devastating moment that Levy made a decision that would ultimately create new life from tragedy. Lying on the carpet, overwhelmed with grief, she asked Silberg’s mother to request that doctors collect her fiancé’s sperm—a procedure that has become increasingly common in Israel since October 7. Dr. Eran Altman, director of the sperm bank at Rabin Medical Center–Beilinson Hospital, explained that the Israeli army has developed efficient protocols to ensure timely transport of fallen soldiers’ bodies for viable sperm collection. The samples are preserved in liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees Celsius, where they can remain viable for decades. Prior to October 7, such procedures required court orders, but temporary amendments now allow collection without immediate court approval, though usage still requires legal authorization. Eleven sperm samples were collected from Silberg, preserving the possibility of continuing his legacy.

During shiva, the traditional seven-day Jewish mourning period, Levy informed Silberg’s mother of her intention to conceive using his preserved sperm. “I felt like there was no life without him and that I couldn’t continue. I felt it was the only living thing that I could still get from him. I wanted something from him growing inside me,” she explained. The journey through pregnancy without her partner presented numerous challenges. Levy faced every medical test alone and constantly had to explain Silberg’s absence when asked about the baby’s father. She couldn’t access genetic screenings that would normally involve the father and often relied on Silberg’s mother for family medical history. Despite these obstacles, her determination never wavered. In June, she gave birth via C-section at Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem, bringing into the world a son who would carry forward something of the father he would never meet.

Three months after the birth, Levy has noticed her son inheriting physical traits from his father—particularly Silberg’s nose and ears, features that Silberg himself never appreciated. “We look at pictures of Netanel already. He needs to be proud of his dad, his dad’s story is one of bravery. He needs to know he has a dad and a family,” she said. Yet Levy is careful to maintain her son’s own identity separate from the tragedy that preceded his birth: “I love him because he is who he is, not because he is his father’s son. I didn’t call him Netanel. He is not a gravestone.” Her experience has made her an unexpected guide for others facing similar circumstances. Approximately six other IDF widows are currently pursuing parenthood using sperm retrieved from their deceased husbands, with support from the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization, which helps families navigate the emotional, legal, and medical complexities of the process.

Levy’s advice to other women considering this path comes from a place of profound understanding of both loss and hope. “You must want the child for the child and not for his father who was killed. It’s something that is forgotten sometimes. The child can’t only be his father’s son, it’s not fair,” she cautions. Yet despite the complexity and heartbreak that led her to this point, her message is ultimately one of affirmation: “To the girls who want to do it, I say do it. It’s continuity, it’s life and it’s amazing.” Her story represents a powerful testament to resilience and the human capacity to forge new beginnings even from the deepest tragedy—a child born of love that transcended death, creating life from loss and hope from despair in a region that has seen too much of both.