Country And People Above Self
To commemorate the one year anniversary of October 7, I am releasing a series of blogs throughout the month that capture my April Jewish National Fund volunteer mission to Israel.
There are still over 100 hostages in Gaza, and it's day 382 that they are in captivity.
These first appeared on social media.
April 17
Rebuilding
The residents of kibbutzim along the Gaza Envelope have traditionally identified as peaceniks.
They live modestly, and their communal lifestyles are the result of relying on each other, building, farming, harvesting their yield, and elbow grease that has no limits. As a peace-loving, left-leaning people, they not only employ Gazan Palestinians, but they provide services like transportation to and from doctor appointments and grocery stores, among other assistance.A lot of innocence was lost, but these children
have the rest of their childhood and lives to look forward to.
That trust was shattered on October 7th, as we came to learn that so many of the Gazans working on the kibbutzim were conducting recognizance on behalf of Hamas, providing critical intelligence that allowed the terrorists to attack with precision.More than 450 residents and soldiers in kibbutzim, including Kfar Aza, Nir Oz, Nahal Oz, Be'eri, and Re’im were massacred and kidnapped. Families were killed execution-style, babies shot in their cribs and burnt alive,
and women and children raped.Kibbutz Orim was spared the atrocities but barely. Some terrorists entered but didn't find the residents who were hiding. We spent a full day building, painting, and bonding. There are tens of thousands of displaced families, many from the North, who have been living in hotels for six months (it is now over a year), jobless, still on the hook for mortgage payments, and with no schools to send their yeladim (children). Nitzan, resident. That smile. I've seen it everyday since I met her. May it always reside in my mind.
Unbeknownst to us—and I'm tearful as I write this—one of the displaced fathers from our hotel made the journey with us to volunteer. This is what it is to be an Israeli: country and people above self. In other words, Zionism. I didn’t get the chance to meet him, but I love him.Rachel, one of the leaders of Kibbutz Orim who
melts your heart with her kindness and haimish spirit.
I'd never been happier to be working with my hands outside in 98 degrees under a big, beautiful, hard sun. Along our drive, we were within miles of Gaza—one mile away at one point—and I'd never felt stronger and safer. You just have to be here to understand.
I hope you come soon.
This bench was built in less than an hour. I can't take credit. Didn't work the drill. It's as though they knew I'm not to be trusted with light machinery...or any machinery for that matter.…
Ygall (name changed for security reasons), Security/Special Ops"A lot of kids are going to eat popsicles on the bench you built. We could have bought it, but you built it. You could have gone home after the news that Iran attacked, but you stayed. You still stayed. You didn’t turn around. They (the world) don't understand that the reason we're going to be eternal is because we're full of love."
Yehudit, Director of Health and Wellness at Kibbitz Orim.She happens to be from Highland Park and made Aliyah (immigration to Israel) years ago. "I'm little but a mighty force, kind of like Israel. I stayed behind on October 7th, because I had to keep the Kibbutz running. Life here is not easy, but I would not give it up for anything in the world."
Oren (name changed to protect his identity).Oren grew up in Gaza. You heard that correctly. Around 8,000 Israelis lived in Gaza until 2005, when Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered the unilateral withdrawal to allow for a Palestinian State. Two things happened: Israelis who had created lives in the region and wanted to stay were forcibly removed by their own government, and Hamas violently took over Gaza.
"We the people in Gaza had to pay the price and leave our homes. They were tough days as a teenager to say goodbye to my home. My parents had just finished renovating, and it took three minutes to destroy our house. We were giving peace a chance. On 7th of October, our first response team made the courageous decision to leave our community and help the areas being attacked. Up until then, Israel was bitterly divided politically, but when they needed help, none of the division mattered. When a Jew is in danger, nothing else matters. When you see a hand grenade explode next to you, you understand how fragile life is. For me, coming back here is the victory over Hamas. The real victory is to come back and put big Israeli flags up in their face. The message we're sending to them and the whole world is: You defeat Hamas on the battle field and here with the paint brush, drill, and wood."
About the Author, David Telisman
I am a Writer and Content Creator, and I work with businesses to inspire their customers to buy from them. I believe that my clients deserve to feel proud of how their content marketing looks and what it says, and I deliver by providing expert copywriting and marketing solutions.
Subscribe to our blog and YouTube channel, and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Oct 22, 2024 by
- share:
