Phyllis Heimowitz is the co-founder of the Non-Profit Organization for the Partners of Fallen IDF Soldiers (GFIDF), which supports unmarried partners of fallen IDF soldiers.

Born and raised in New York, Phyllis holds an MA in Education from City College. Active in the Betar Youth Movement, Phyllis met her husband Yitzhak, and they made Aliyah with their son, Daniel. In Israel they had two daughters, Tamar and Michal.

Phyllis began her career as a second-grade teacher and remedial reading specialist in public schools. In Israel, she taught English in the IDF, preparing officers for international roles. After the tragic loss of her daughter Michal’s boyfriend, Lt. Avi Book, in Lebanon in 1997, Phyllis and her elder daughter Tamar established GFIDF to advocate for the emotional support of grieving partners of fallen soldiers, historically unrecognized by the state.

GFIDF has since provided tailored therapeutic assistance and emotional support to over 720 partners of fallen soldiers, in collaboration with the IDF Casualty Division and Ministry of Defense. Following October 7, 2023, the organization has expanded its support as the need has grown exponentially. Phyllis’s volunteer-driven efforts have reshaped Israeli history, ensuring unmarried partners of the fallen are recognized as part of Israel’s bereaved community.

Phyllis Heimowitz made Aliyah from New York in 1968.