Faith after the holocaust by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Z"L
Day 3
Day 3 of Kehilat Chovevei Tzion solidarity mission.
I don’t know how to describe this in words. Deep sadness, horror and the concretizing of everything we have imagined since October 7th. We walked through the area and tried to absorb the magnitude of the horrors that happened. We witnessed the “car cemetery” and trees planted on Tu Bshvat in honor of all the fallen kedoshim of Nova, Hashem Yinkom Damam.
We boarded the bus and learned from
Cheftzi, our amazing tour guide. about the “Gaza Envelope,” the kibbutzim and areas that surround the border. We were welcomed into Kibbutz Zikim, a kibbutz that was attacked by land and sea by over 100 Hamas terrorists, Kibbutz Zikim was spared the brutality that the other kibbutzes experienced due to heavy civilian resistance and some warning of imminent trouble. Elior, our chayal who spoke with us, shared the story of October 7th at this Kibbutz with sensitivity, compassion and deep wisdom.
We met Yael, the commander general of Kibbutz Zikim, who is in charge of all the military operations and IDF presence at the Kibbutz as well as the only woman in this unit. The strength , courage and conviction Yael spoke to us with, left us all speechless.
After an intense day with sadness and pain, we arrived at an army base filled with the most beautiful, kind and brave chayalot.
We danced, we sang, we gave presents and we brought joy and fun to these young women's lives.
It was a day filled with so many conflicting and sometimes confusing experiences and one that will forever be with us and leave us all forever changed.
This is one of many solidarity trips, orchestrated by World Mizrachi and operated by World Class Travel.
#SolidarityMission
#AmYisraelChai
#BringThemHome
#jewishtravel
Celebrating Simhat Torah, four months later, with Ohab Zedek Congregation. In Sderot
