ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Irit Oren Gunders, founder and chairperson of Or L’Mishpachot, has been selected to receive the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement, prompting public praise from Klil chairman Zuri Dabush, whose company has been the nonprofit’s largest donor over the years.  

Or L’Mishpachot, which supports bereaved families of fallen members of Israel’s security forces, was founded and is led by Oren Gunders. The organization says it works with parents and siblings coping with loss through a range of support programs, including scholarships, community activities, and projects aimed at helping families rebuild daily life after tragedy. 

According to a statement provided to The Jerusalem Post, Klil has donated about NIS 1.5 million to the association over the years and has been its largest donor. The statement added that Dabush plans in the coming days to call on members of the Manufacturers Association of Israel to contribute to the organization’s work. 

“What immense pride,” Dabush said in the statement. “Your winning the Israel Prize is the moment when the country finally pauses and recognizes your quiet and genuine work.”

He added that the honor should also serve as a wake-up call for broader state support for the group’s work with bereaved families.

A grandmother (C) of Yaakov (16), Avigail (15) and Sarah (13) Biton, three siblings killed in yesterday's Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh grieves during the funeral at the Mount Olives Cemetery on March 2, 2026 in Jerusalem, Israel.
A grandmother (C) of Yaakov (16), Avigail (15) and Sarah (13) Biton, three siblings killed in yesterday's Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh grieves during the funeral at the Mount Olives Cemetery on March 2, 2026 in Jerusalem, Israel. (credit: Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

The statement said Oren Gunders recently presented Dabush with a certificate of appreciation marking 15 years of support from him and Klil. It also said Dabush helped mobilize company employees over the years to take part in the association’s activities.

Prize given as national recognition for Oren Gunders' quiet work

The Israel Prize, widely regarded as the country’s highest civilian honor, was announced in late March for Oren Gunders and Chantal Belzberg, the founding director of OneFamily, another organization that assists families affected by terror and bereavement.

Or L’Mishpachot has become one of Israel’s better-known civil society groups working with bereaved families, and Oren Gunders has said in past interviews that its goal is to help parents whose lives were shattered by the loss of a son or daughter during military service return, as much as possible, to a functioning routine. 

The announcement from Klil framed the prize as national recognition for years of largely quiet work on behalf of families dealing with one of the deepest forms of loss in Israeli society.