Today, I’d like to start off by apologizing to anyone who I have made to feel uncomfortable or upset. I am not setting out to do that, and I have spared many gory stories and photographs for that reason. I do try my best to sift through all the news from Israel, find only the factual that I can verify, and report what I see and what the people are experiencing and feeling. I really do try to be as unbiased as possible, and have shied away from topics I know might be offensive to some of my readers (although one day I might have to take those ‘projects’ on).
As for my own standing with the L-rd. I know we all will be standing in front of Him in judgement one day. I try to keep myself in right standing with Him and with those in my personal life. I am answerable to them, and try to live my life accordingly. And I do try my best to forgive those who have wronged me personally. That said, there is true good in this world -which I will write about in this article – and true EVIL. When I see evil and untruth, it is upon me to call it out and stand against it. We are called to fight against evil, in our own lives and in the world, to the utmost of our abilities. We are to spread goodness and light and help one another, but we cannot allow evil and untruth to go uncovered or unanswered. There is mercy, there is judgement; we do our part and leave the rest up to G-d.
That said, today’s post will focus on the resiliency of the Israeli people as a whole. Why do they seem so strong? What keeps them going? How can so many seem so resilient…as in the ability to rebound after disaster? Not all can. There have been several suicides after the 7 October…people with survivor’s guilt after the NOVA music festival; those who have seen too much to process; and those whose loved ones have been murdered or directly affected. But they are the minority. Most have taken the proverbial bull by the horns and are doing great things, being a source of strength and inspiration for the rest of us.
Despite the tragedy and the horror, stories of the released hostages are coming out from the families. Some have gone on to give interviews or make public appearances. Several weeks ago five female IDF soldiers were among those released from Hamas captivity. They were the observation soldiers, who, at an army base adjacent to the border, did surveillance on the computer monitors of the border fence and beyond. They all spent 15 months living in captivity, sometimes together, sometimes alone. They were hidden away in hospitals, in underground tunnels, at some points in the homes of ‘innocent civilians.’ Sometimes they were held together or saw each other during a transfer of location. Other times, they were alone.
Agam Berger, now age 20, from an observant Jewish family, was held for months with a Gazan civilian family who did not let her shower; who denied her food, yet had her cook for them (she was watched by the children and not allowed to eat any of the family food she was ordered to prepare); who kept her chained. Yet she informed her captors that she would never light a fire to cook on the Sabbath. She would keep the Jewish dietary laws of Kashrut completely, even if that meant only a pita or spoiling vegetables every two days.
In another civilian’s home where she was kept with Liri Albag and Naama Levy, she told her parents, “Last January the terrorists brought us a Hebrew book they found in the field. They asked me what it was and then just gave it to us. It was a Siddur (prayer book), and we used it daily throughout our captivity. It was G-d’s gift to us.” She went on to say, I do not know why, but somehow they valued me more because I was religious. They said all of Judaism is a lie, and told me I would become Muslim, but they preferred someone who believes in G-d over someone who doesn’t.”
She described feelings of despair and frustration during her prolonged captivity, yet never gave up hope that she would survive her ordeal. Her religious faith provided the strength and stability to keep her going while in Gaza. She found ways to track the passage of time. “We celebrated all of the holidays. Sometimes we had access to radio, and occasionally, we saw things on television that helped us know the date.” She would pray for a sign, and miraculously, she would see on a television ‘9 Av,’ a fasting day. From there I counted the actual days and was able to observe all the fasts – Yom Kippur, Tisha b’Av and the Fast of Esther.
Sometimes she was held with fellow captive, Liri Albag, and the two provided emotional support to each other. At one time, she overheard her captors playing a radio and hearing of the rescue of some of the captives early on. “Hearing people fighting for is on the radio strengthened us,” Agam reported. At a news event, she recently made a request, “…that you each take on one good deed in the name of those remaining. Whether it’s doing good for someone else or praying in their merit. I want all the hostages home soon.” As she was led out of Gaza, she and the other girls resolved to radiate strength and joy for the world to see that despite the terrors, Hamas did not have the victory over them and that the people of Israel remain. They vowed from the onset to keep their G-d given dignity.
Just a week ago, Agam Berger’s little sister drafted into the IDF. It was Agam who proudly pinned her braid to her epaulets at the tekes kumta installation ceremony. All of the released hostage girls who served in the army have requested to return to finish their service.
When Hamas tried to drag Liri Albag, 19, into their underground tunnels, she blatantly refused. She insisted on staying above ground. Somehow she was able to talk the terrorists into stopping to abuse released hostage, Amit Soussana, who described Liri as a “force to be reckoned with. Liri is something special. She has an incredible strength, radiating an ability not to be broken. She gave me courage.” At one time, while being held in a UN sponsored hospital, Liri saw on a television report that people all over the world were fighting to bring the hostages home and the knowledge that they were not forgotten provided her with the strength she needed to survive her ordeal. Upon her release, while in the helicopter that would bring her h9e, Liri gave the heart sign with her hands to show her love and appreciation for the people of Israel.
“Abba, there are 2 million terrorists there, make no mistake. I saw with children ages 6 and 4, who were spitting on me and cursing the Jews.” She has partially described to her parents “ experiencing insane things that are hard to tell everything about.” Those are reticent to speak out loud too much, because they fear for the lives of the hostages still being held in captivity. “Entire families are under Hamas. I realized I was staying with a family. I started to ask myself ‘why am I in a family home? Why are there children here? Then I learned it was to teach them to mistreat me.” At one time, close to her release, she was forced to do a propaganda video.
As for others: Kobi Levi, every day wore the tefillin, the boxes containing passages from the Torah/Deuteronomy 6) strapped on their arm and forehead during prayer, that were worn by the kidnapped Eli Sharabi in his merit. Sharabi’s sister had put out a Facebook post soon after his abduction. “She innocently asked who would be willing to take on the responsibility of wearing his tefillin very day. I saw the post, and immediately without thinking twice, I reached out.” Every day when he prayed, he would ask G-d for a release of the hostages, and prayed for Eli Sharabi in particular.
Kobi has yet to meet the one he prayed for for almost a year and a half, but wrote a letter that has been delivered to Eli. “ … you’ve returned home half a person, just as your family described…you’ve been through so much, losing your wife and daughters, May their memories be a blessing, and your brother who was killed I captivity, May his memory be a blessing. Yet you survived this entire period, and I’m sure that thanks to all the people who love you, you’ll slowly return to yourself. Without knowing you, you’ve entered deep into my heart, and I’m sure we’ll meet. I love you dear Eli. Better days will come, I’m sure.” The tefillin and prayer shawl have been returned to their owner.
Meet Shachar and Boris. Before their deployment into Gaza to fight Hamas, they made a vow to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro together.
Then came the unthinkable. Shachar was critically injured by an RPG that exploded beside him. Then, just a few days apart, Boris was critically wounded in a terror tunnel that was booby trapped with explosives. It took the lives of four of his unit members. Most people would have given up…but not these two. After months of rehabilitation, including Boris’ prosthetic leg, two weeks ago they proudly stood at the mountain’s peak in the snow. Carrying a banner bearing the faces of the four soldiers who never made it home.
“We wanted to show everyone struggling physically or mentally to believe in themselves. Get up. Leave your home. See what you are capable of,” stated Shachar. Even with broken bodies they climbed – for themselves. For their brothers-in-arms. For the unbreakable Israeli spirit.
British-Israeli hostage, Emily Damari, now 28, was held captive by Hamas at UN facilities for much of her 15 months. She was denied visits from the Red Cross, despite her medical condition and underwent surgery without anesthesia, painkillers or antibiotics for gunshot wounds to her legs and hand. She was given an out of date bottle of iodine to put on her wounds by a UN doctor at Shifa medical center. When she heard of her release, Emily offered Hamas to stay in captivity so an older man, American-Israeli, Keith Siegel, could be released in her stead. Her request was denied, but a week later, Siegel was also freed.
In a photo that has since gone viral, Emily is seen upon and shortly after her release, waving her bandaged hand emblemizing her courage and resilience. It is now an Israeli icon, emoji and meme: it is a symbol of defiance against the true oppressors. Religious have adopted it as the priestly benediction “May G-d bless you and keep you.”
Ohr Aharoni, Israeli designer and wife of a reservist, is offering necklaces with the Emily’s hand image. It can be found on her Jewselry.com. Site or from Etsy. All her proceeds go to help the wives of reservists or families whose husbands/fathers have fallen or been gravely injured in combat. She is another example of the amazing Israeli spirit.
In addition, this morning, former hostage, Emily Damari, received a heartwarming gift. After learning that Emily was in need of a car to resume her normal life, in an amazingly generous anonymous donor in America bought her the car of her dreams. Rabbi Shai Graucher presented her with a new BMW on the donor’s behalf. May she continue to heal and to rebuild her life.
Faith, spirituality, determination to survive and thrive are just some of the factors that motivate Israelis to push forward. Support from friends and family also helps. But the Jewish people have been fighting off those enemies who wish to see them annihilated for millennia now. They are familiar with the trope. And they know how the story always ends: the Jewish people are preserved, victorious; their enemies are vanquished; a great feast is created. As the saying goes. “They lost. We’re still alive. Let’s celebrate.” There is also the command to be the Light to the world. I believe Israel, although badly shaken, will continue to shine. As former hostage Mia Shemm put it, “We will dance again.”
עם ישראל חי! 🇮🇱 💪🏼 The people of Israel live
Israel Dreams 