For Orly Robinzon, a home is a solid foundation for life, and home design can actually be a social responsibility.
That responsibility was never clearer than in the immediate aftermath of Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023. Orly watched the images on television that day with horror, and felt a connection when she saw the destroyed homes of Israelis.
“When a home is destroyed, damaged, or harmed – a great wound opens in life,” she said.
Suddenly, thousands of Israeli families were displaced and they lacked access to essential furnishings that allow for a temporary space to function as a home. Many people felt powerless to help the displaced, but in that moment Orly felt like she could do the most.
Orly – a home designer by trade but also a published author of more than 40 books, including Homes With Soul: Designing with Heart – put her unique skills to work by leveraging her expertise in home design and architecture. She soon transformed a 16,000-square-foot donated hangar into a home furnishing center, and Home Front was born.
In a short period of time, Home Front has helped more than 2,500 Israelis. Orly assembled a team of dedicated volunteers, including carpenters, designers, and therapists. Each volunteer brought a different skill to the table, and they all shared Orly’s belief that a home is so much more than a house.
The community around Orly quickly mobilized as well, and it seemed like every time there was a need it was met. But a phone call from Heli Tabibi Barkat, who leads Daybreak’s emergency response team, filled the critical need for funding support. Orly was thrilled: “Suddenly, someone noticed us. Someone believed in our work.”
Orly’s team couldn’t afford to think about “the next day” or how to get funding because they just had to keep building.Daybreak’s grant was the first real financial support that Home Front received. But the partnership didn’t stop there. “The emotional and financial support continues to this day,” Orly said.
Beyond the critical financial support, Orly reflected on the sense of family at the heart of Daybreak. The “family” consisted of Israelis from different backgrounds and perspectives with a shared commitment to making a positive difference in a post-October 7 Israel. Today, Orly welcomes volunteer groups to Home Front’s hangar each week and finds renewed inspiration in watching people young and old provide a sense of home for displaced Israeli families.
So many Israelis have stepped up, put their regular lives on hold, and filled a void in society. As Orly puts it, “It is one big human tapestry. We are just one part of it.”
