By Pesach Benson and Ezra Cohen
When Canadian-Slovakian model Miriam Mattova began posting in support of Israel after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks, she lost many Instagram followers. One of her PR agencies dropped her, warning she was being “too political.”
“They told me to delete the hashtags and stay neutral,” the 33-year-old said during her first visit to Israel. “But my grandmother told me that during the Holocaust, everyone stayed quiet. I promised myself I would never be quiet.
“My Instagram profile changed. I added the ‘bring them home’ hashtag and posted more about Judaism and what’s happening.
“I wanted to inform the world about Israel’s right to defend itself. I risked my career, and it paid off — I found an agency that shares my values.”
Her commitment brought her to southern Israel this month with Israel Friends, where she visited the site of the Nova Music Festival massacre. Miriam spent three hours there, crying as she walked among burned cars and memorial photos.
What moved her most, she said, was the soldiers thanking her for coming.
“They thanked me for two minutes of my time while risking their lives daily. They are the heroes; I am just a voice advocating for them. They came back from war and were still happy, cheering me on. It showed me how strong the Jewish people are today,” Miriam said.
At Nova and nearby kibbutzim, she felt echoes of her own family’s history. Her grandmother and great-grandmother survived the Holocaust; the rest did not.
“When I saw what happened here, I heard my grandmother’s story all over again — in the 21st century,” she said quietly. “It’s so painful. These were young people dancing, people sleeping in their homes. They didn’t hurt anyone. And yet they were slaughtered.”
Before Oct. 7, Miriam had a successful modeling career, including being named Miss Slovakia. Now living in Toronto, she says anti-Semitism followed her to Canada.
“There are anti-Israel protests on my street every Friday,” she said. “I wear my Star of David and my Nova Festival T-shirt proudly. I’m not scared. That’s what they want — to intimidate us. If we show fear, they win.”
Just days before her trip, a man shouted “dirty Jews” at her in a Toronto bar. “If I had shown fear, he would have felt powerful. So I laughed. You can’t let hate control you.”
Israel Friends, with whom Miriam is traveling, has delivered over $55 million in aid for civilian security teams and support for Israelis suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
“For me, PTSD work is the most meaningful part. It’s not political — it’s about healing. These soldiers are 18, 19, 20 years old. They’ve seen things no one should ever see. We can’t just leave them to face that alone.”
In two years of war, more than 3,700 Israeli soldiers have been diagnosed with PTSD, while another 9,000 have applied for recognition.
Israel Friends has provided over 40,000 hours of therapy through its Healthy Mind teletherapy program and mental health retreats.
Last October, it received Defense Ministry approval to treat soldiers.
“If one person heals, their whole family heals. It’s a domino effect,” Miriam said.
Alongside modeling, Miriam earned a PhD in political science. At 14, she was offered a seven-year modeling contract, but her mother insisted she finish school first.
Miriam credits her chemist and pharmacist father for inspiring her academic focus.
“At first, I wasn’t happy,” she says about her parents’ restrictions, “but now I’m grateful. Education gave me discipline, purpose and the ability to use my voice responsibly.”
Her modeling career, she said, also helps her pursue deeper purpose. “People pay attention to you because of how you look,” she said. “Finally I can use that to do something good.”
She has chosen to work with Jewish photographers and Israeli designers.
“Modeling used to be just about money and magazine covers,” she said. “Now it has meaning. I can talk about what matters — about Israel, about our people, about truth.”
