Healing Hearts in Israel — One “Ollie Hug” at a Time
Staff Writers Article
In recent times, children across Israel have faced a reality no child should ever have to endure. Children in Israel’s southern cities, such as Ashkelon and Sderot, have lived through lengthy times of rocket sirens, nights in bomb shelters, and constant anxiety. Many watched parents leave for military service. Some saw fathers return home wounded, while others experienced unimaginable loss. Even after the initial attacks of October 7, the trauma continued through months of conflict and missile barrages, including attacks launched directly from Iran in 2025 and 2026.
For many Israeli children, fear became part of everyday life. Yet amid this pain, a remarkable story of compassion and healing has emerged — one that stretches from South Africa to Israel through the loving hands of a woman named Odette Koch.
Odette is the founder of “Ollie’s Adventure,” a project that creates handmade giraffe comfort toys called Ollies. Soft, colorful, and designed for endless hugs, each Ollie is carefully sewn to bring comfort, peace, and emotional support to children and adults facing trauma, grief, loneliness, or fear.
What began years ago as a simple act of love for her autistic son eventually grew into an international ministry of compassion.
One exhausting night, before her son had been diagnosed with autism, Odette fell asleep, overwhelmed and emotionally drained. That night, she dreamed about creating a soft toy. The next morning, she made the giraffe exactly as she had seen it in her dream. When she handed it to her little boy, he hugged it tightly. From that moment, the journey began.
As Odette continued making the giraffes, she felt deeply that these comfort buddies were meant for people experiencing pain and trauma — children facing fear, hospital patients, grieving families, the lonely, and the broken-hearted.
Many years later, after visiting Israel during the war and serving with the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, Odette felt profoundly moved by the resilience and suffering of the Israeli people.
“I wanted the people of Israel to know they are not alone,” she explained. “I wanted another voice to come from South Africa — a voice of love, prayer, blessing, and support.”
When bags with Ollies arrived at the ICEJ in Israel, Jannie Tolhoek, ICEJ Aid Assistant, connected with a school in Ashkelon that serves more than 100 children, including many with special needs and children from heavily targeted areas such as Sderot. The emotional impact was immediate.
School counsellor Yehudit Malka explained how deeply the children have been affected by years of crisis. “The children have lived through coronavirus isolation, wars, sirens, and ongoing uncertainty,” she said. “Many carry anxiety and emotional distress. Toys like Ollie help children process trauma by giving them comfort, safety, and emotional connection.”
Vice-Principal Shalhevet described what happened when the children first received the giraffes. “Just hugging Ollie gives the children comfort,” she shared. “It helps them feel safe and strengthens their self-confidence during a very difficult season. These Ollies are more than toys — they become trusted companions.”
As Jannie opened the bags and took out the Ollies, the school staff were amazed by their beauty. Jannie shared: “Each child is special, unique, and colorful. These Ollies are too. Each one is thoughtfully crafted with love in South Africa, with children in Israel in mind, praying that these Ollies will bring blessings and help them recover and heal from their trauma.”
Among the children receiving an Ollie was six-year-old Avishag. Her mother, Lucy, shared how years of rocket attacks had already affected her daughter, but the trauma intensified dramatically after October 7 and the later missile attacks from Iran. Fear became so overwhelming that Avishag could no longer sleep alone and spent every night in her parents’ bed.
Then she received a purple Ollie giraffe.
“Purple is my favourite colour,” Avishag said joyfully. “Ollie makes me so happy.”
That very night, something remarkable happened. For the first time in a long while, Avishag slept peacefully in her own bed with Ollie beside her.
“Thanks to Ollie, Avishag sleeps alone again,” Lucy shared emotionally. “We are so thankful to Odette and the ICEJ. We cannot thank you enough!”
Yehudit created a short storybook to introduce Ollie and Odette to children and their parents. The story shows two children playing when a siren sounds, and they rush to shelter. Inside, they hear loud explosions. Little Nava cries, while Itay trembles with a pounding heart. When safe, Odette from South Africa visits with Ollie, a gentle giraffe that helps heal them. Next time, Ollie joins them in the shelter, and each child hugs him. Holding Ollie, they remember Odette’s advice to breathe deeply and think happy thoughts. As they do, their anxiety fades.
These moments may appear small, but for traumatised children, they represent something profound: the beginning of healing.
This is the heart behind the work of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem — standing with Israel not only through words of support, but through acts of compassion that bring comfort, healing, and hope.
The Ollie giraffes continue their journey into the arms of children in Israel. And with every hug, they carry a powerful reminder: Even in the darkest moments, love still reaches across nations.
Thank you for supporting the ICEJ’s Israel in Crisis fund, which helps to rebuild Israeli lives.
