Moshav Yesha Moved to Western Negev after October 7th “I always love to start from the end… We have been here in Moshav Yesha since August 2024, despite everything that happened. We were able to move here because of the resilience and heroism of this place’s incredible people – whose hearts I now hold dear. On October 7th, near the house that wasn’t yet ours, terrorists roamed, continuing towards Moshav Mivtahim – where they were pushed back in a heroic battle by the emergency response teams of Moshav Yesha and Moshav Mivtahim, who joined forces and unfortunately paid with their lives so that my husband, Assif, and my two children, Daniela and Guy, could live here safely. I can say that I have finally arrived home. We began searching for a home in this area during the Sukkot holiday… just days before the darkest day of all. Some may call ...
Holocaust Survivor, Theresienstadt Concentration Camp “When I saw the hostages Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi, and Or Levy released from Hamas captivity, it was painful for every Israeli to watch, but for me, it was unbearable. They looked like ‘Muselmann’ – a term used among Jewish concentration camp prisoners during the Holocaust to describe someone on the brink of death. They appeared like walking skeletons, with their bones protruding visibly – exactly like the Jewish prisoners who were liberated from the concentration camps during the Holocaust. When I saw them being brought onto a stage in Gaza and forced to “sign” their “release documents,” I simply broke down in tears. It was so humiliating. It took me back 80 years to my own liberation from the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Not many people know the history of the ‘Freedom Train’ that left Theresienstadt heading west instead of east. On February 5, ...
One of the Founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz “I arrived in Nir Oz on February 28, 1958, and I’ve been here for 67 years. Good friends of mine from “Hashomer Hatzair” came here to establish a new Kibbutz, and since then, I have stayed. I grew up with this place, and in many ways, Nir Oz is the work of my life. On October 7th, I woke up to the sound of sirens, but despite the sirens, I went back to sleep. Nir Oz is located right on the border, and over the years, I got used to the sirens. Around 8:30 am, my daughter, Hamutal, called me and warned me about what was happening in the kibbutz. After the call, I entered the safe room and locked the security door. I actually heard terrorists speaking Arabic right outside my apartment, but I still wasn’t too alarmed. My apartment was ...
Kibbutz Re’im ‘Cafe Otef’ – Re’im “The vision behind ‘Cafe Otef’ was to establish a coffee shop in each of the communities most affected by the October 7th attack. These cafés are run by displaced residents, providing them with employment opportunities while they are away from their homes. More importantly, they serve as gathering places for evacuees—a space for connection, support, and healing. For me, Cafe Otef-Re’im represents more than just a coffee shop; it is a symbol of resilience and the rebirth of Kibbutz Re’im.”
Sister (Hadassah) and daughter (Moshit) of Shlomo Mantzur – Eldest Israeli hostage, ‘Farhud’ pogroms survivor Hostages square, Tel Aviv “Shlomo was born in 1938 in Baghdad, Iraq, the eldest child in a warm and loving family. From a young age, he was intelligent, mischievous, and full of curiosity. At just three years old, he survived the ‘Farhud’ – a brutal pogrom against Baghdad’s Jewish community that took place during the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, from June 1 to June 2, 1941. Around 180 Jews were murdered in the violence. Tragically, 84 years later, in a chilling twist of fate, he endured another pogrom – this time in Israel, on October 7th. In 1951, at the age of 13, Shlomo immigrated to Israel with his family. Upon arrival, they were placed in a tent camp in Atlit, where they faced pressure to move to an immigrant absorption camp in Be’er Sheva. ...
‘Uri Buri’ Entrepreneur, Acre. “I was born in Nahariya, and as a child, I often visited Acre. Thirty-six years ago, I opened my fish restaurant, ‘Uri Buri’, on the promenade in Nahariya. Eight years later, it found its home in Acre’s Old City – a place unlike any other in the world. I loved this city then, and I still love it today. I am a man of the sea, and I need to feel the sea when I wake up, so choosing to place the restaurant on Acre’s waterfront was a natural decision for me. To this day, every sunset still excites me. The past year has been especially challenging, but I have learned time and again not to follow the crowd, but rather to trust my intuition and instincts. Many businesses laid off employees over the past year and are now struggling to rehire. In a steakhouse, new ...
Farmer, Kibbutz Nir Am Argaman, Wine House “I’ve had a passion for wine my entire life, and in recent years, I felt the desire to take that passion a step further. This led me to open my wine house, ‘Argaman’. Originally, I had planned to open it in early August 2022, but living near the Gaza enclave means plans can change unexpectedly. In fact, a military operation at the beginning of August forced me to postpone the opening, and I ultimately opened Argaman at the end of the month. Since then, Argaman has become a welcoming home for wine lovers, both from the Gaza enclave and from across Israel. After October 7th, I began opening my more expensive wine bottles without hesitation. At home, I have over 400 bottles, and the attack made me realize the importance of living in the present – because we never know when our last ...
Hostages square, Tel Aviv The terror in the face of the kidnapped Shiri Bibas, with her two children in her arms, Ariel and the baby Kfir, never left my mind. The mind and heart cannot process what the eyes see. Shiri is holding the screaming children, and she is terrified. How did she get through the first hour, and the hour that followed? What did they eat? The child needs a bottle. Now. And to change his diaper. And to put him to sleep. And there’s no crying, no food, and the guns, the shots, the death, the Arabic, the violence, and the hatred. It’s impossible to even imagine a minute of this horrifying experience without breaking down. Here I am, in the Hostages square. With my granddaughter. Hundreds of people are watching a large screen, waiting for the return of the three hostages on the list. Three men. The ...