Judy Isaacson Elias

Expert Topics:

Expert in Moral Injury among our veterans.
Veterans
Israel
Living as an Observant Jew in the United States
Antisemitism – personal experience and fears for my children and grandchildren

Judy Isaacson Elias

Founder and CEO of Heroes to Heroes Foundation.

“My career was fun and lucrative, just not fulfilling. Founding and building up Heroes to Heroes required all the skills I had and more. Having the opportunity to redefine my life as a life of service at the age of 50 and continue to learn and develop has been a gift.”

Founded Heroes to Heroes in March 2010 in tribute to her father, Irving M. Isaacson, a World War II veteran, as a way to honor the service of all veterans, especially those with Moral Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Before joining Heroes to Heroes in a full-time capacity, Judy spent thirty years in media sales and management and on Wall Street as a Financial Advisor.

Judy’s volunteer experience in the non-profit world includes the White House Task Force for Moving Veterans into Trucking, New Jersey Women’s Political Caucus ( PAC Co-chair), Teaneck Township (NJ) Financial Advisory Board, and Chairperson of the Women’s Circle at Chabad of Boynton Beach.

Judy has been featured in the documentary “Pay Attention”, which focuses on entrepreneurs and how they think, and has been featured in many broadcast and print media outlets.

’82, DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN AWARD RECIPIENT 2019

Contact Us

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Bio

Judy founded Heroes to Heroes in March 2010 in tribute to her father, Irving M. Isaacson, a World War II veteran, as a way to honor the service of all veterans, especially those with Moral Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Before joining Heroes to Heroes in a full-time capacity, Judy spent thirty years in media sales and management and on Wall Street as a Financial Advisor. Judy’s volunteer experience in the non-profit world includes the White House Task Force for Moving Veterans into Trucking, New Jersey Women’s Political Caucus ( PAC Co-chair), Teaneck Township (NJ) Financial Advisory Board, and Chairperson of the Women’s Circle at Chabad of Boynton Beach. She is on the Advisory Board of Friends of Kidum, an organization that helps underprivileged Israeli and Arab children get the education they deserve.

Judy has been featured in the documentary “Pay Attention”, which focuses on entrepreneurs and how they think, and has been featured in many broadcast and print media outlets.

Videos

Projects

OUR STORY

Many Veterans End Up Lost And Alone…

Following our visit we learned that once these men and women leave the protection of the hospital and rehabilitative facilities (and the notice of their fellow Americans), many of them end up lost and alone. After listening to their stories, and learning of their challenges, we realized that something has to be done to make sure that these men and women are given the tools and resources necessary to make their transition to civilian life clean, clear, direct and purposeful.

What We Do And Who We Serve

The Heroes to Heroes Foundation serves all combat veterans, regardless of faith and regardless of conflict. Our curriculum and research-based program includes goal-setting, values exploration, navigating the civilian world, spiritual reconnection, and community reintegration over the course of 12 months. The cornerstone program includes a 10-day journey to Israel, the Holy Land, which allows veterans to better reconnect with their faith to find forgiveness in an unashamed manner.

Our program includes also unique services for family members and veterans’ spouses, such as the Heroes to Heroes Family Program which is available online live in both English and Spanish. We also provide alumni programs, events, and opportunities post-program that promote togetherness and offer ongoing support for veterans.

Our Program Also Includes Support That Stays With You

Heroes to Heroes believes in a holistic approach, which includes a lifetime of healing for our veterans.

Heroes to Heroes Alumni iincludes an online chat 24/7 and monthly online events. Alumni are all welcome to attend all Heroes to Heroes events.

Heroes to Heroes Campus gives alumni the opportunity to tell their stories to college students on campuses throughout the country.

Our post-journey programs include:

Heroes to Heroes Coaching helps veterans through their 12-month journey.
Heroes to Heroes Family provides support for spouses and family members of veterans
Heroes to Heroes Events bring together fellow veterans and their families to engage in meaningful activities.
Heroes to Heroes Alumni is an online chat for 24/7 peer support.
Heroes to Heroes Campus features veterans as guest speakers who share their journey from military home.

An Experience Of A Lifetime

After studying the many available programs we wanted to offer something different, an experience of a lifetime, one that will allow our disabled veterans access to a different perspective about their service, to explore their spiritual roots, to develop an international support system, and to gain some insight into using their military experience for private sector employment. The Heroes To Heroes journey to Israel is our way of saying thank you and of giving American disabled veterans ten days of education, personal exploration, fun, and connections, with a lifetime of international peer support to follow. A few hours in Walter Reed changed our lives. Maybe Heroes to Heroes will change theirs. We are looking forward to serving our veterans and can’t thank them enough for this opportunity.

Articles

Judy Isaacson Elias is Supporting Veterans in Healing “Crisis of the Soul”

NRB | May 16, 2024 | Member News

Judy Isaacson Elias, an associate NRB member and the founder and CEO of Heroes to Heroes, is helping veterans heal from the invisible wounds of war, particularly what Elias calls “moral injury”—the damage to one’s conscience after experiencing traumatic events.

Elias’s own connection to war trauma began with her father, a World War II veteran who participated in the Normandy invasion, the Battle of the Bulge, and the liberation of a concentration camp. Although his military service took place before his daughter’s birth, Elias experienced the long-term impact on their family life firsthand.

“In many ways, he never came home,” Elias said. “I don’t remember smiling and laughter. We had a very chaotic home.”

She described her father as withdrawn, struggling with job stability and family connections. Her mother, too, was affected by his lack of presence. By age 16, Elias rejected her religious Jewish upbringing, rebelling against rituals and synagogue attendance. Suffering from disconnection, she avoided home, dodged school, and turned to drugs and alcohol.

A turning point came when Elias’ father encouraged her to attend an Israel tour for teenagers. At the Western Wall in Jerusalem, she experienced a profound awakening.

“The next thing I knew, I had my hand on the wall,” Elias said. “I felt like for the first time in my life, I wasn’t alone. I have a mission, and I have to figure out what it is.”

This experience ignited a desire to explore her faith and understand her father’s trauma. After his death in 2001, Elias began volunteering with veteran organizations. She became disillusioned by approaches that focused on relaxation and extended vacations, which could create more harm than healing by worsening substance abuse issues. Elias concluded that post-war trauma is “a crisis of the soul.”

Her own journey of deepening her faith in God led her to believe that spiritual renewal was key to healing.

“People choose to live when they feel a connection to their faith, and when they have faith, then they feel as if they belong,” Elias said.

With this vision, Elias founded Heroes to Heroes in 2010. Initially focused on trips to Israel, the program expanded its offering based on positive feedback from veterans who finally felt at peace and reconnected with God.

Heroes to Heroes now offers a 12-month curriculum alongside the ten-day Israel trip. Veterans work in teams led by a program alumnus who serves as their coach.

In August 2018, Heroes to Heroes partnered with Dr. Joseph Currier, a professor of Clinical and Counseling (CCP) Psychology at University of South Alabama, to strengthen their curriculum and improve their impact. The curriculum emphasizes identifying core values, exploring the Christian faith, and integrating these learnings into daily life. Veterans grapple with concepts of forgiveness, understanding the complexities of war, and the difference between killing and murder.

“We prepare our soldiers physically and mentally to go to war, but we don’t prepare them spiritually,” Elias said. Heroes to Heroes bridges this gap by fostering connections with local churches and building veteran support teams within existing congregations.

The program equips veterans with a life plan that incorporates all aspects of well-being, with spirituality as a cornerstone for ongoing support and belonging within their communities. Alumni can volunteer as coaches or build teams in their local churches through the Heroes to Heroes Alumni Pro program.

To date, 400 veterans have graduated from the program. On May 14, 35 veterans embarked on their journey to Israel, accompanied by Elias and her husband, a program chaplain.

“The miracles that I’ve seen here are just phenomenal,” Elias said. “The reconnection to faith is just the most beautiful thing to watch. My belief is once you heal from within, all the other healing is easy.”

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