By Michal Roness
The Times of Israel: The Blogs | Nov-Dec, 2025
In this three part series, Yoetzet Halacha Michal Roness, director of the Nishmat Yoatzot Halacha Fertility Counselors Program, reflects on the multiple dimensions of posthumous parenthood for fallen soldiers.
PART 1: MAKING THE DECISION
November 19, 2025
Shortly after the war began, the wife of a reserve soldier sits down with her sister for dinner. Her husband was called to the front line when the war broke out on October 7th, and he has been fighting with his battalion ever since. Her sister has come to give her support and, despite her husband’s absence for several months now, the atmosphere is relaxed and upbeat. Suddenly, a knock on the door instantly changes everything. Her life will never be the same.
Not long after delivering the tragic news, army representatives ask the woman if she wishes to extract and preserve sperm from her husband in order to enable her to have children from him in the future. They cannot delay asking her wishes, since as time passes the viability of the sperm decreases.
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PART 2: MEDICAL, LEGAL AND HALACHIC PERSPECTIVES OF POSTHUMOUS SPERM RETRIEVAL
November 27, 2025
Nishmat’s Yoatzot Halacha Fertility Counselors in conjunction with Gefen Fertility, have studied the medical and halakhic aspects of many challenging fertility questions. None are more challenging than the complex considerations that arise in deciding whether to retrieve sperm from a deceased man. The following are the different perspectives that need to be taken into consideration.
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PART 3: PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES: WHO CAN USE THE SPERM
December 3, 2025
Psychological Perspectives
It is essential to examine the psychological and social dimensions of this process. Is it ethically acceptable to bring a child into the world without a father? The use of a fallen soldier’s sperm to “immortalize” a hero may have significant psychological implications, potentially placing a profound emotional burden and sense of responsibility on the child born into such circumstances. Conversely, a child who grows up in a loving and secure environment can develop a strong and healthy identity, regardless of the conception method.
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