Against all odds and medical predictions, Yael Mizrachi gave birth to not one, not two, but four healthy babies. She felt a strong sense of hope for the future. 

However, with three small children already at home, Yael and her husband faced the daunting task of providing for a family of seven children. The thought of clothing, educating, and feeding all of them was overwhelming.

In the midst of this uncertainty, Yael found comfort in the knowledge that the organization Just One Life had pledged to help support the quadruplets, financially and emotionally.

Holding the babies close to her chest, Yael knew that her quadruplets were miracles. And so was Just One Life.

The odds were almost one in a million

In 1998, Yael Mizrachi was 27 years old and pregnant with quadruplets. Her doctors were concerned for her health. After all, having four babies at once isn’t just rare — it’s one in 700,000. Giving birth to quadruplets can also pose serious health risks to the mother as well as her babies. 

As a result, Yael’s doctor recommended terminating two out of four quadruplets. 

“The doctor said I have to give up two of the babies,” Yael said. “I saw four lives in the ultrasound. They were labeled A, B, C, and D. I said to myself, ‘Whom do I choose to keep?’” 

That was the question that tormented Yael. She couldn’t sleep or eat with the knowledge that she had to choose which of her babies would survive.

That’s when the organization Just One Life stepped in. Founded in 1991, Just One Life assists pregnant women in a variety of crisis situations, including those who are medically at risk, in financial distress, or in need of social support. Just One Life focuses on offering a positive, loving, and helpful approach to empowering expectant mothers and increasing their self esteem. 

The Just One Life team–-including Co-founder and Chairman Jack Forgash, Executive Vice President Rabbi Marty Katz, and Israel Chairperson Madeline Gittleman, MSW—took on Yael’s case and connected her to Dr. Shimon Glick at Soroka Hospital, the original founding doctor of Just One Life. 

Dr. Glick encouraged Yael to give birth to all four babies. He reassured her that she could do so safely. Other doctors and rabbeim also encouraged her to give birth to her quadruplets. 

“I told my doctor I couldn’t make the decision to terminate two of my babies,” Yael said. “But it still wasn’t easy. I had to stay in the hospital for two months before the labor, and I still had three children under five years old in the house.” 

Just One Life gave Yael’s family financial support while she was hospitalized. When Yael went into labor and the quadruplets were born—all boys at four pounds each—she felt that her family had the financial and emotional support to thrive. 

“It’s not realistic to raise four babies at a time when you’re young,” Yael said. “Just One Life gave me a lot of hope. They gave me power. In every corner of my life—like holidays, birthdays, bar mitzvot, and tefillin purchases—Just One Life was there for us.”

The miracle of Just One Life

Today, Yael’s quadruplets—Benzi, Yosef, Shlomo and Yishai—are 25 years old; three are married, and two of them are fathers themselves. In total, Yael is a mother of 11 children and grandmother of 11 grandchildren (and counting!). 

“I’m a strong and healthy woman because of Just One Life,” Yael said. 

By helping save two of the quadruplets, Just One Life has made many more generations in Yael’s family possible. This is Just One Life’s mission: when a single life is saved—whether that be a mother or her child— hundreds of future babies can be born for generations to come. 

Rabbi Marty Katz, Executive Vice President of Just One Life, has a special relationship with Yael and her family. Since the beginning of Yael’s journey, Rabbi Katz has connected her to Just One Life’s resources, guided her through financial hardship, and celebrated her quadruplets’ milestones.

Now, every trip that Rabbi Katz and his wife make to Israel, they visit Yael, her grown children, and her grandchildren. 

“They are unique in the sense that they are the next generation,” Rabbi Katz said. “There are tears in my eyes, because as I lift up this baby, my wife reminds me it’s the next generation. It’s the next generation. And that truly brings tears to my eyes.”

Under Rabbi Katz’s leadership, Just One Life has grown to become one of the most prominent organizations in Israel focused on handling all types of pregnancy-in-crisis situations and providing comprehensive care for mothers and babies. 

Today, Rabbi Katz works tirelessly to support pregnant women and new mothers in Israel, promoting a culture of compassion and care for all members of the Jewish community.

How does Just One Life work?

Incredibly, Just One Life has supported almost 20,000 babies in its 33 years of service in Israel.

Every family in need of Just One Life’s services are first connected with a social worker who helps each family determine the best plan for their needs. 

Then, clients are connected to any of the following services: counseling, financial stipends, advocacy for additional government subsidies, referrals to other relevant agencies, parenting workshops, financial assistance with household bills and rent, and even clothing for babies. Just One Life clients have constant contact with their social workers, so that they can ask for anything they may need.

“Giving is the best expression of gratitude”

Yael said she and her husband try their best to foster a sense of inclusion in their home, partly to give back to the community who helped support her quadruplets. 

“My Shabbos table is always diverse,” Yael said. Some of her children are in the army, while others are in yeshiva. She also has a special needs son, who brings light and joy to her family’s life. 

“Giving is the best expression of gratitude for what we have,” Yael said. “Every morning, when I get up, I say the Modeh Ani prayer proudly, thanking Hashem for my life and for the wonderful kids he has given me, including the miraculous quadruplets.”

Yael emphasized the importance of organizations like Daily Giving, which supports several organizations like Just One Life that allow struggling families to nurture new life. 

Since Just One Life became a beneficiary in 2019, Daily Givers have given a total of $120,000 to Just One Life, which were distributed toward baby clothing, medicine, maternal counseling services, and more areas of need.

Today, at age 52, Yael works for the prime minister’s office. Admiringly, she also recently re-enrolled in college and is currently a student of education.

“Our future is our children. They are our generation. They are our life,” Yael said.