| Erev Shabbat - Parashat Bereisheet 5784 | 28 Tishrei 5784 - October 13, 2023 | | We at Mizrachi - Religious Zionists of Chicago
send our love, tefillot and gratitude to Chayalei Tzahal
as they defend our beautiful homeland.
We are so proud of the many of our own current and past
Chicago Chayalim Bodedim who have been called up,
or voluntarily returned to Eretz Yisrael,
to defend and protect our Medina.
|  | | The Very Good and The Very Bad Rabbi Stewart Weiss  I do not exaggerate when I say that this past week has been one of the hardest in Israel's history, if not in the entire history of the Jewish People. The shock, the anger, the sadness combine to overwhelm and debilitate us.
When we struggle to find answers to the deepest questions in life, there is only one place we can go: to Hashem. And where do we find Hashem? In the Torah, of course; specifically the Parsha of the week. And so, I want to focus on two themes in our Sedra that speak to us.
The first is about violence. Soon after human beings are evicted from Gan Eden, the Torah records the first and perhaps the worst murder ever committed. Though they "divide" the world between themselves, the brothers Kayin and Hevel are not satisfied. They are greedy; Kayin is angry while Hevel is unsympathetic, and they fight, until one dies. The potential for violence, says G-d, is always there, "crouching at the door." This propensity for evil will grow until, at Parsha's end, G-d will decide that this society must be utterly destroyed, and the world must begin anew, hopefully with a better moral character.
The lesson we are being taught is that evil can destroy a whole world, unless we eradicate it from our midst. We, who have now witnessed pure evil, must do all we can to utterly destroy this source of evil epitomized by the barbarians in Gaza, as a favor to all the earth. As the Torah will later teach, the presence of Amalek demands from us a merciless, uncompromising destruction. And let us make no mistake: Gaza IS Amalek in its basest and most cruel form, and not an ounce of mercy can be wasted on them.
The beginning of Bereisheit describes Creation, and the day-by-day progression of life. On the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th days, the pasuk says: "Vayar Elokim ki tov;" and G-d saw that it was good. But no such phrase is mentioned on either the first or second days. Why not?! The answer is that on both of those days a separation takes place. On Day 1, Light and Darkness are divided from one another; and on Day 2, the waters above (the sky/clouds) separate from the waters below (the seas).
The Torah is hinting that in situations where separation and division exist, the term "tov-good" is out of place. The not-so subtle message is that friction and disunity cannot be called "good;" and if that is true about inanimate entities, it certainly applies to people. And especially to Jews. When we divide and separate, no good can come of it.
On the 6th day, "Hashem saw that it was good" when the animal kingdom is created, then G-d said it was "very good" when humanity is formed and given dominion over the animals. The message: It is a very good thing when people, by any means, rule over and control the animals, both those with 4 legs and those with 2. If we do not rule them, evil will rule over us. | | 
Strong Beginnings
Rabbi Shalom Rosner  After the transgression committed by Adam and Chava, each perpetrator is punished. The first punishment is assigned to the nachash (snake). It is destined to slide on its belly and be satiated with dust. There will be hatred between snakes and mankind. Then the Torah uses the following phrase – הוּא יְשׁוּפְךָ רֹאשׁ וְאַתָּה תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ עָקֵב, he will crush your head, and you will bite his heel. Literally this may be understood that man will hit the snake on the head to kill it and the snake will bite man's heel.
The Kli Yakar offers an alternative explanation that is quite appropriate for this time of year. The nachash symbolizes the evil inclination – the satan and the yetzer hara. This pasuk provides us with the strategy to overcome the yetzer hara. When the yetzer hara starts to entice us, he is like a spider web – loose strings through which one can maneuver. If we fight against the evil inclination from the beginning, as the pasuk states: הוּא יְשׁוּפְךָ רֹאשׁ – then man will be victorious. However, if we enable the yetzer hara to influence us and we follow those temptations day after day, we become entangled in a thick rope from which it is quite difficult to escape. If we wait until later to fight the yetzer hara, it will be difficult for us to overcome – וְאַתָּה תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ עָקֵב – that is when the "snake" will be victorious.
This is the secret to overcoming the yetzer hara. We have to prevent its influence from the beginning. Once we are manipulated by the yetzer hara it is much more difficult to overcome. Often people get set in their ways. As we get older it is harder to change. This is who I am!
We are in the period known as "אַחֲרֵי הַחַגִּים" – it is a time on the one hand to try to get back to a normal schedule. Yet, it is also a time to reflect on all the items we contemplated on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The behaviors we undertook to improve our actions – both bein adam l'Makom and bein adam l'chaveiro. The key to accomplishing our new year resolutions is to begin implementing them immediately. To take control from the start – as the pasuk states: הוּא יְשׁוּפְךָ רֹאשׁ – man will be victorious if he starts off strong!
In Sefer Shmuel (Shmuel II 7:5) in the middle of the night Hashem appears to Natan HaNavi and instructs him to immediately inform David HaMelech that he cannot build the Beit HaMikdash. Why did Natan have to share this disturbing news with the king in the middle of the night? Rashi suggests that David HaMelech was a "doer" – "מָהִיר הוּא." He acts immediately. If Natan would not inform David HaMelech quickly, David HaMelech would likely initiate the construction of the Mikdash that very night.
We need to execute and not just contemplate change. As we begin the new year, let's start off on the right foot and immediately take concrete measures to implement all our undertakings. The longer we wait the less likely we will be able to successfully fulfill our pledges. Strong beginnings lead man to victory!
| | Light in the Da rkness | Bereisheet 5784 Rav Doron Perez
Executive Chairman of Mizrachi World Movement
Please watch and share Rav Doron Perez's weekly video, including a personal message from the family.
Praying for the safe return of Daniel Shimon ben Sharon. | |
Bereisheet 5784
Rabbanit Rachelle Fraenkel,
Yoetzet Halacha and Senior Scholar at Nishmat, and Head of Hilcheta advanced Halacha studies at Matan | | |  | | We wish to thank our members, friends and supporters who have helped us to continue to rejuvenate the Religious Zionist movement in the Chicago area.
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Rosh HaShana Greeting Book 5784 (2023-2024)
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| | A Letter to Chicago 
"We have to perform one funeral on Har Herzl every hour and a half. It pains me to have to tell the family after the funeral that they need to leave so we can do the next one. It is grueling and sad, but we are involved in true chessed." This sentence was said to me by my neighbor, Binyamin, whose job in Miluim (reserves) is to handle funerals for fallen soldiers. It is merely a peek into life as we know it at the moment, here in Israel. Let me start, though, from the beginning. The morning of Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah began quietly and peacefully with aniticpation of a day filled with joy and dancing. I was serving as the Rav of a program (through AACI) in Netanya for the week, and we were just about to begin to daven, when a man from the hotel security entered the shul. He told us to be aware that missiles were being shot from Gaza to Israel and to keep an ear out for sirens. We all thought, well, sadly that is nothing new, and we moved along. However, moments later, word started to circulate: Hamas terrorists had broken through a border checkpoint and entered our land. How can that be!? Surely, they were few in number, and the IDF would eliminate them shortly. As the day wore on, and the news filtered in more and more, the grim picture came into focus. Did someone actually say that there were 50 murdered? How can that even be? Horror of horrors. But surely by now the few terrorists who had infiltrated must have been eliminated by now, no? No. The slaughter and the desecration continued unabated. By the time we made havdala, we already heard of over 100 dead and that there were "some" who were taken hostage to Gaza. Would the roads to Jerusalem be open? Would we be able to leave and go home to Maale Adumim? I wanted to hug my kids and grandchildren. I said a silent prayer: Please Hashem, let us get home safely. We entered a cab and began the ride home, pulling over numerous times near Tel Aviv to avoid being under the range of missile launches. We saw the interceptions and heard the booms. While it was scary, it is hard to describe the sense of surrealism at that moment. We made it home, Baruch Hashem, and we were able to hug our kids and grandchildren. However, our two sons-in-law, like thousands of others, were not home due to being called up for reserve duty. Only then, after settling back into our home and having the chance to really see and hear what was going on, did the gravity of the situation truly begin to sink in. We were at war. Over the past few days, the horror of that initial number of 50 dead has swelled to over 1,000 murdered by terrorists. Dozens of soldiers (many commanders and officers) killed in battle or while protecting our citizens; hundreds slaughtered in their homes, hundreds taken captive, and the numbers manage to shock every time we hear an update. What about the mood here in Israel? The initial feelings of shock, fear, bewilderment and horror have not fully abated. However, as the IDF and other security forces began to get a handle on the situation, some of those feelings turned into hope. At the same time there are other feelings that wash over us collectively, and over me, in a personal way. As each day progressed, we heard of all of our friends, neighbors and relatives who had to see their sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives off to war. The sadness and trepidation with each of those goodbyes is difficult to put into words. I will leave that to your imagination. On a personal level, l will attempt to describe my feelings. There is a halacha that on Tisha B'Av, we do not greet our fellow man. Also, in the days leading up to Tisha B'Av we do not listen to music, nor shave. Those days are marked by a sense of loss (of the Bet HaMikdash) and mourning. I never fully understood the "no greeting" issue…until now. I still find it difficult to say, "Good morning." Asking "How are you?" is merely superfluous. I can't listen to music, and I have avoided shaving. All of this is visceral. All of this I can actually FEEL. All of this is painfully difficult. It feels like Tisha B'Av, 9/11 and a peronal loss all rolled into one. And yet… It must be noted that we are also seeing tremendous chessed, as well. Collections of items for soldiers and displaced families, and so many other acts of kindness- it literally would take pages to detail. It is heart-warming to see and read about all of those acts. The care and concern of our communities in the Diaspora is also heart-warming, real and deep. We are hearing from so many just to see if we are ok. On a personal level, as a rabbi in the community, I have had to deal with many others' fears and questions. The messages and calls are endless. No, I do not have all of the answers, but I do hope I can be of some service. Some of the calls have been painfully difficult, and all of them affect me deeply. One thing is clear: there is no question who will win the war. The only question is what the cost will be. While we pray to Hashem that this will be brief, and that we will see all of our people home safe soon, we have another job - to ensure that this happens. We all need to work on our בין אדם לחבירו (how we treat each other) - mend fences; resolve interpersonal issues; be kinder to each other and turn down the flames of sin'at chinam. We say that Hashem makes peace up in the heavens and that He should make peace here on Earth. However, the first step is ours to take. So, those of you asking, "What can I do?" the answer is simple: Help each other; reach out to friends and family in Israel; rally; raise funds and do acts of chessed. With the help of Hashem we will be victorious and see an end to this war quickly. With blessings for peace and health, Zev M Shandalov Maale Adumim Israel | | | A message from Rabbi Yogi and Shu Rimel
Dear friends and family,
 Hard and terrible days like we have never known until now are passing over the people of Israel. The immense pain, the terrible news that doesn't stop pouring in.
The IDF recruited many reserve soldiers: to the north, to the south, and to the whole country. Fathers, sons, and brothers - nearly everyone was called to serve and showed up quickly, with a fighting spirit and a desire to defend the homeland.
We, in Neve Tsuf, are taking care of our soldiers that are here to protect us. There are soldiers here from all over the country. They all left their jobs, their homes, their children and wives at a moment's notice. They came to protect all the residents and to ensure our safety.
The residents here in Neve Tsuf have stepped up to cook meals, bake cakes, and make sure our fighters have everything that they need while here. It is important to us that our soldiers receive all the best conditions.
Many people have been asking how can I help and contribute? We started this fundraising campaign. 100% of the donations here will go towards helping fund meals for the soldiers, buying them supplies that they might be missing, and ensuring that they get everything that they need while they are serving and protecting our country.
| | | Join World Mizrachi's "Tzevet Perez" Emergency Campaign
Help raise life-saving funds to protect and care for our soldiers, for the merit of the speedy return of Daniel Shimon ben Sharon and the members of his tank crew.
mizrachi.org/tzevetperez |  | | I Just Sent Five of My Children to War Hillel Scheinfeld
For the first time in my life I drove on Shabbat, taking my son to defend our people. The scene repeated itself three more times as I sent my other sons off to war.
 I woke up at 6:30 AM this past Shabbat/Simchat Torah to the sound of thunder and my light fixtures shaking. I opened the blinds and the sky was blue but the thunder continued. I went outside and saw streaks across the sky.
I woke up my wife and said, "Miriam, get up, I think we are at war." Neighbors slowly started to come outside to see what was happening. We all have kids in the army or on reserve duty. Most of our kids were home for the Jewish holiday. Since we hadn't heard any news we didn't know what was happening and we went to synagogue as usual. There were booms and clear signs of the Iron Dome throughout the service. At 8:45 AM we had our first of what would be many air raid sirens. After a few minutes in the bomb shelters we emerged and went on with the prayers. We danced a little, completed the reading of the Torah and started Genesis. During this time young men in my shul started to get called up from the army. I asked my youngest son who is in active duty in the tank brigade called Shiryon if he got a call. He went and checked his phone and that moment his commanding officer called him. He said that things were very serious and that he should start packing a bag as he would be called in later in the day. My wife and I have five children (four sons and a daughter); three of them are married, and two granddaughters from my oldest son. I'm privileged that all four sons of ours are in the infantry and a daughter-in-law in the air force. I was asked to lead the prayers for the welfare of the State of Israel, and the welfare of the soldiers, and the Mussaf service. As I put on my white kittel for the special prayers for rain recited on Shmini Atzeret and sang the words "to life and not death," I could not stop thinking of the prospect of my son being deployed. The day felt more like Yom Kippur than Simchat Torah.  When I returned home and my second son told me that he was called in and needed to urgently get to Tel Aviv where he will get a ride up to the north to join his soldiers. I quickly ran back to shul to ask the Rabbi if I was allowed to drive him on Shabbat as I did not want him driving himself. I also asked if I could return home after and then take my youngest son who was already called in. The Rabbi answered in the affirmative.
I got home, my son packed his bag, said goodbye to his wife and our family and for the first time in my life I drove on Shabbat to take my son to defend our people and country. In the car we were talking about the situation and how crazy it was. We both felt nervous but the prevailing feeling was that now it was time to take care of business. Other cars on the road had passengers with soldiers going to their destination. We finally got to his apartment where he packed his bag with the items he would need and we were waiting for his ride to come. As we were waiting, my son asked me if I wanted to learn or say Psalms to make good use of time. I was so proud of that this is what he wanted to do while waiting to be taken to the front lines. Someone from his unit arrived to take him, a non-religious soldier with his girlfriend. I gave my son the traditional blessing a father gives his son on a Friday night. In general, I'm a big crier but I knew I needed to be strong – strong for my son, strong for my family, strong for his friend and girlfriend. Strong for all soldiers. Here they were going into the unknown with so much motivation and courage; who was I to show weakness?  I turned to him and said, "I love you. Focus on what you need to do. Listen to your orders, trust your fellow soldiers, focus on your targets and mission, talk to God when you need to, say Psalms, and kick some Hamas butt. I'll see you in a few weeks. We love you and can't be more proud! We will take good care of your wife and everything she needs." We hugged and the first son was on his way.
As I started driving back home I get a call from my fourth son that he got the call and needed to go to Jerusalem to catch a bus down to his base near Eilat. I drove home and got ready for my next run. My oldest son then told me that he was also put on alert but not called in yet. I said to keep me posted. My wife and daughter gave my fourth son a hug and we were off to Jerusalem. As we were driving, the news was on and the reports started coming in and it was not good. I could see my son's face and the nerves building up. What does a father say at that point? At the end of the news, the radio station reported on the weather. I made a joke to my son that do we really care what the weather will be tomorrow right now? It was a great way to break the tension. The rest of the way we spoke about how proud I was of him and that once he sees his fellow soldiers and gets his orders, he will feel better. As we pulled into the parking area with tens of buses, I could see hundreds of soldiers being dropped off by their parents, hugging each other. I gave my son the same blessing and same message as well. "I love you. Listen to your orders, trust your fellow soldiers, focus on your targets and mission, talk to God and kick some Hamas butt. I'll see you in a few weeks. We love you and can't be more proud!" With that, we hugged and our second son was on his way. As I got home, it was time for mincha, the afternoon service. I put my keys and phone away and walked to shul. When I got there, my oldest son was there with me. He asked me what I knew and said that I dropped off his two brothers and that the news was not great. He indicated that he had his phone on him as he was told to be ready. As we started praying, my son walked out. When he returned, he said that he was called up. We walked home and he told his mother, his wife and two children that he is being deployed. He spent the next 20 minutes hugging his family. His three-year-old-daughter said, "Abba, I'm sorry you have to go, bye!" We got into the car again, and this time drove 150km to the border of Egypt to drop him off. As the sun set, we said while driving "Baruch Hamavdil Ben Kodesh L'chol" ending Shabbat and Simchat Torah, and we called my wife. We wanted to hear about my third son and his wife who are part of special units in the army and air force. Our daughter-in-law was called onto base at 7 AM and our third son was going to be deployed later that night. As my eldest and I arrived at his base, I could see the focus in his eyes and him getting ready mentally for what the next days and weeks will bring. For the third time that day, I found myself giving the same speech and strength to my son. I put my hands on his head and gave him his blessing and said, "I love you. Focus on what you need to do. Listen to your orders, trust your fellow soldiers, focus on your targets and mission, talk to God when you need and say Psalms and kick some Hamas butt. I'll see you in a few weeks. We love you and can't be more proud! We will take good care of your wife and girls so no need to worry." With that, we hugged and the third son was on his way. On the drive back home, I was calling other friends and family whose kids were going in. My sister had two sons and two sons-in-law called up and everyone I spoke to was giving their kids strength as they went off. When I got home, I met my second son's in-laws who were picking up my daughter-in-law from our house and taking her to stay with them while my son was away. At 11pm, my fourth son called me and said it was time to go. So back in the car I went, picking him up from his in-laws house and taking him to his base. My son said he felt bad asking me to pick him up as he knew I was driving all day. I said, "Don't worry! It's my absolute merit to be the designated army driver today." On the way to his base, we passed a line of 15 tanks and army jeeps. The specter of war was already very real and getting more intense. This son is part of a unit I am not allowed to name here but his composure was that of a professional getting ready for a day at work. We talked about the days ahead and called his brothers so they could all speak together before I dropped him off. It was amazing to hear them all ranking on each other and in the end wishing each other the best of luck. We finally arrived at the base and for the fourth time that day I said to him those unforgettable words that I told his brothers. We hugged each other and my son was on his way. When I walked back to my car, it was 1 AM on what may have been the longest, craziest Shabbat of my life. I sent the following message to my family WhatsApp group: "Ok everyone. Gavriel dropped off. That's everyone! Be strong!! Love you all!! You all have the privilege to defend Am Yisrael, the Jewish Nation. I'm super proud of all of you!! See you all soon"!!!! When I finally got home, I gave my wife a hug and said, "We are fortunate to have such an amazing family. May God watch over them all and all of the amazing soldiers and everyone in Israel. Let's try to get some sleep. It's going to be a long haul." Please pray for our children Yechiel Asher ben Miriam Chaya, Zev Yisrael ben Miriam Chaya, Gavriel Eitan ben Miriam Chaya, Mordechai Yosef ben Miriam Chaya, and Shai bat Orli, in addition to all the soldiers, wounded and captives. aish.com | |  WATCH: Border Police rescue wounded IDF troops under fire from Hamas
The incident comes amid increased fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas terrorists following a large-scale incursion from armed Gazan terrorists into Israel. Israeli Border Police officers ran into a fierce combat zone in Kibbutz Nir Am near the Gaza border to save wounded soldiers pinned under heavy fire from Palestinian terrorists, as shown in footage shared by police on Tuesday.
The Border Police were responding to a report from a battalion commander, whose troops were engaged in a fierce firefight with terrorists near Nir Am.
The officers managed to get through the fighting, engaging with several armed terrorists in the process, and found the wounded soldiers, who were sheltering in a tank as they awaited rescue.
The Border Police were able to evacuate the wounded troops to get them medical treatment.
Operation Swords of Iron: IDF troops battle Hamas terrorists
The incident comes amid increased fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas terrorists following a large-scale incursion from armed Gazan terrorists into Israel. At the time of writing, 123 IDF soldiers have been killed in the fighting. jpost.com | | Heroes – How a single tank stood alone against the Hamas invasion Tank full of reservists was the last line of defense after IDF forces wiped out in the Gaza border – yet managed to kill large numbers of invading terrorists. Batya Jerenberg  A reserve Armored Corps soldier from a settlement in the South Hebron Hills is being hailed by comrades as a hero and compared to Avigdor Kahalani, the famed tank commander in the Yom Kippur War, after his unit held its ground alone against the enemy during the initial Hamas attack Saturday that kicked off the ongoing Operation Iron Swords.
Uri Maman told a part of his story to another soldier, who got it posted online Tuesday morning:
While waiting for a shower at a base in Israel on Monday, Bentzi said, he suddenly noticed a tall officer standing quietly in line, bent over, looking obviously tired. He asked the fellow when he was called up, and Maman told him that he and his fellow crewmembers were ordered to base Saturday morning, right after the invasion began.
When they arrived, not a soul was there to greet them or instruct them. They found their tank and searched for and packed all the necessary armaments and equipment by themselves, and then immediately hurried to the place where Hamas had blown through the security fence. They saw four breaches, and hundreds of Hamas terrorists pouring through on foot into Israel.
Maman and his crew started shooting at everything he saw, looking around for other Israeli forces and seeing none. He asked for help on the communications network, but no one answered him, he said. That's when he understood that he was the only tank in the State of Israel that was defending the area.
He immediately called for his partner tank, also full of reservists, to get there as fast as they could, while continuing to shoot everything he had at the terrorists who kept coming through the breaks in the fence without pause.
A patrol force from the Nahal Brigade arrived to reinforce his position, but they were met with heavy fire that killed many of them, including the battalion commander. Maman instantly reacted, disposing of the Hamas fighters with fire of his own. He also called again for air support at the same time. Up to that point, not a single jet or helicopter had arrived to help stop the invasion, he said.
Finally, the communications net came alive and he began receiving orders to help clear the Jewish villages near the Gaza Strip that had been overrun by the terrorists. Maman took his tank on one mission after the next, going from one kibbutz to another, and then to the next, helping to eliminate the terrorists in what seemed to be an unending job.
"Today, Monday," Bentzi ended, "our forces are starting to pour in and are getting rid of the unimaginable number of terrorists who invaded Israel. Uri Maman is 'Kahalani 2', a hero of Israel, a reservist father of four from the settlement of Negohot in the South Hebron Hills. I gave him a big hug and told him 'thank you' in the name of the whole nation."
Avigdor Kahalani commanded a tank battalion on the Golan Heights in 1973 and managed to hold off a Syrian mechanized force of 1,200 tanks and 50,000 men with just his few tanks and some other elements of his armored brigade. He received Israel's highest decoration, the Medal of Valor, for his actions.
worldisraelnews.com | | Trembling in Jerusalem A personal glimpse of Israel's calamitous war from a Jerusalem resident. Sara Yoheved Rigler  When I heard the first air raid siren on the morning of Shabbat/Simchat Torah, I was confused. The chilling sound of an air raid siren means a missile or rocket is hurtling toward your area. But who was attacking us? Hamas? Hezbollah from the northern border? Iran? When the siren ended, I heard a faint boom. The missile had landed somewhere, but not nearby. A minute later, a second siren pierced the air. When Israelis hear an air raid siren, we're supposed to run to our building's bomb shelter, or (in more modern buildings) our "protected room," built of steel to guard against both bombs and chemical attack. But I live in a 900-year-old house in the Old City of Jerusalem. We have no bomb shelter. There is a bomb shelter in the building across the lane, but it's filled with furniture and stored stuff of the residents. I stayed in my living room. My husband was already at synagogue, so I was alone in our apartment. I wasn't scared. Because we live just a few hundred meters from the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site and Islam's third holiest site, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock are located, I knew that no Muslim attackers would be crazy enough to aim a projectile at the Old City and risk destroying Islam's holy sites. About 45 minutes later, the siren again pierced the air, followed a minute later by another siren. Clearly, we were under attack. Because it was Shabbat and Simchat Torah, I did not turn on my cellphone or computer to find out what was happening. Had there been danger to me or others that required my doing something, Jewish law would have permitted me to use electronics. But just to satisfy my curiosity was no excuse to violate the holy day. I grabbed a book of Psalms and recited several chapters. During the 38 years I have lived in Israel and the many wars we have endured, I had only one traumatic experience with an air raid siren. A few years ago, during one of our mini-wars with Hamas in Gaza, my husband and I had taken two of our grandchildren, ages four and six, to the park across from the Old City. As we exited the park, the blare of an air raid siren caught us by surprise. Home Front Command's orders are to find shelter in the nearest building, but there was no building anywhere nearby. Next best is to lie down on your stomach, using your arms to protect your head. If you have a child, obviously you cover their body with your own. Panicked, we started running to a tree across the road. By the time we got there, the siren had stopped. It took much longer for the rapid beating of my heart to slow down. We later learned that the missile landed at the western edge of Jerusalem. In the War Jerusalem is 80 kilometers (49 miles) from the Gaza Strip. It takes a rocket launched from Gaza one and a half minutes to reach Jerusalem. Over Shabbat, the siren in Jerusalem sounded around nine times. But I wasn't unduly worried. We've had these rocket attacks from Gaza many times before. Almost all of them are intercepted by the Iron Dome or land in empty fields, causing occasional property damage, but rarely an injury. As soon as Shabbat was over, I turned on my computer, and everything changed. The news struck me like an avalanche of horror. The Hamas terrorist incursion into dozens of Israeli communities, with hundreds dead and many women, children, and elderly taken as captives to Gaza, was like a horror movie come to life. My tears flowed. I was both paralyzed by shock and galvanized into action. My neighborhood WhatsApp group went wild: Mothers whose sons had been called up for active duty listing their sons' names to pray for them; phone numbers we shouldn't answer because there's a cyber-attack on Israel; online groups to recite Psalms; calls to donate blood; forms for elderly and people living alone to receive social services; collection centers in our neighborhood for cans/non-perishable food for civilians stuck in bomb shelters in the south and toiletries (toothbrushes, deodorant, etc.) for soldiers; and a form to sign up to host citizens near the Gaza border so they don't have to remain in bomb shelters. We immediately signed up to host a family in our home, but today got the word that the evacuation of Gaza-border communities has been cancelled due to the danger on the roads. Jerusalem has an eerie feeling. Supermarkets and grocery stores are open, their shelves mostly empty by now. Stores, malls, restaurants, pizza shops, and all schools are closed. Even health fund clinics that don't have a bomb shelter are shuttered. Busses are operating on a skeletal schedule, many drivers having been called up for active duty and busses commandeered for the army. I just got news that a neighbor's son, missing since Shabbat, was found dead. The Jewish Unity Factor This was a surprise attack on Israel, but truthfully, I was not surprised. The Jewish People's miraculous survival over 4,000 years of history, through wars, massacres, expulsions, crusades, pogroms, and the Holocaust, could never have happened without Divine protection. And Divine protection depends on one factor alone: Jewish unity. During the last nine months, Israel has been torn apart by internecine animosity never before seen in the reborn State of Israel. Protests for and against judicial reform have been hateful, and sometimes violent. The forceful breaking up of a Yom Kippur prayer service in Tel Aviv stoked the flames of hatred and mistrust between Jews of different religious perspectives,, sending shockwaves throughout the nation. I felt foreboding that only something grave and calamitous could unite us. It came -- the bloodiest single day in modern Israel's history. Now we are united again, in grief and determination to defeat the enemy that wants to destroy us—all of us, with no religious or political distinctions. Today my son was called up for active duty. He is at a base on the border of Gaza. I pray, tremble and cry over the news. Please pray for all of our soldiers and civilians, and especially the captives in Gaza. And one more thing: Love your fellow Jew. All of them. aish.com | |  WATCH: Terrorists Can't Infiltrate Shomer Shabbos Community Near Gaza
21 communities were overrun by Hamas during its barbaric attacks on Israel on Simchas Torah. In each of these communities, there were unfortunately casualties, some of them suffering very heavy casualties. However, there were two communities which remarkably remained unconquered by Hamas, as their gate was shut for Shabbos and the terrorists simply couldn't get in.
In an amazing video clip, apparently from one of the Hamas terrorists who was later killed or captured, the terrorists can be seen arriving at the gate of Kibbutz Saad, a religious kibbutz which close its gates on Shabbat.
Arriving on their motorcycles, the terrorists first tried to find a way to climb into the community but then realized that they would be exposed and eliminated. After shots were fired, they ran away. This occurred in Kibbutz Saad. In Kibbutz Alumim the terrorists fired at the local forces which consisted of a platoon of civilian defenders and soldiers. Once again, the gate proved invaluable, and the defenders were able time and again to fend off the attacks by tens of Hamas terrorists and to save their kibbutz. vinnews.com | | 
WATCH: Amazing story of the heroes of Kibbutz Alumim
| | For 26 Hours, One Family Took Shelter as Hamas Attackers Overran Their Kibbutz In their home's safe room, Sarit Kurtzman, her husband and their 14-month-old daughter waited out the attack. Nadav Gavrielov When Sarit Kurtzman heard rocket sirens early Saturday morning, she grabbed her 14-month-old daughter, Zohar, and quickly made her way with her husband, Yonatan, to the safe room in their home in the kibbutz Alumim in southern Israel.
As a resident of a kibbutz only a few miles from the Gaza Strip, it was an experience she has grown accustomed to. Ms. Kurtzman, a modern Orthodox Jew, typically leaves her phone off on Saturdays but turned it on when she realized something was wrong. The barrage of rockets and sirens continued for longer than usual.
"We're used to hearing the missiles, we're used to hearing the Iron Dome, we're used to hearing even planes and tanks and helicopters, but this was the first time we heard gunshots right outside our window and we understood that something is going on — that the terrorists are nearby," Ms. Kurtzman, 28, said.
Her kibbutz, which has a volunteer security team and several methods of communicating warnings, alerted residents that the community had been infiltrated by attackers and that residents needed to seek shelter.
"We were just on our phones the whole entire time trying to calm down my baby without food, without water, without diapers," she said. She shared her live location on her phone with her family.
To calm her daughter, she made toys out of random items in the safe room, including a wallet. "I cut it open so she could put stuff in it and take out," Ms. Kurtzman said, adding, "mostly she was just amazing."
"Thank God she's young enough to not understand what's going on."
At one point, Ms. Kurtzman decided to exit the safe room to grab water, food, diapers and a knife. "I ran out knowing that I might be meeting a terrorist at my fridge, but I felt like I needed to feed my daughter," she said.
As the fighting continued outside, thoughts of the family's future stayed top of mind.
"I looked at my husband and I said to him like, 'Where are we going to live? Is this place going to exist? Are we going to want to put our daughter in this situation?'" she said.
Altogether, they spent 26 hours in the safe room before receiving a notification that it was safe to exit. Outside, Ms. Kurtzman took in the alarming aftermath: the community's barn had been burned down, and in the streets, cars riddled with bullets had been flipped over. Her sister, Adena Lesnick-Weil, who was in Jerusalem, described the terror of not being able to help her sister. "It's 26 hours, but when you're a family member, it was centuries, it was years," she said, adding, "I just needed her to get out of there." Ms. Kurtzman's husband has been drafted, and she says she would typically be as well, but that her new role as a mother has altered the calculation for her. "It's the first time that something like this has happened, and I'm a mother, and I'm torn," she said. "I feel guilty that it's not obvious for me that I have to be a mother right now." nytimes.com | | How a religious garment saved this IDF soldier's life After singlehandedly killing dozens of Hamas terrorists, wounded Lieut. Col. Guy Madad was almost mistakenly taken for a terrorist himself, if not for his tzitzit. Batya Jerenberg  A hero soldier was saved due to his religious devotion from being mistakenly shot by fellow troops, in one of the miracle stories coming out of Operation Iron Swords and making the rounds on the internet.
Lieut. Col. Guy Madad, a battalion commander in the regular army, said that he was in the city of Kiryat Gat celebrating the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah on Saturday morning when he heard the roar of thousands of rocket launches begin from the Gaza Strip. Still in civilian clothes, he jumped into his car with only his handgun as a weapon.
He reached the area of Re'im, where Hamas infiltrators had murdered hundreds of young Israelis in cold blood who were attending a music festival. He saw there a Golani soldier who was badly wounded and started to rescue him when a terrorist shot at him.
He outflanked the man and shot him dead.
He then took a soldier's rifle and, as he continued on his way, he killed five terrorists on motorcycles.
Madad then jumped into a police car with a policeman to continue further south.
Terrorists fired whole cartridges of bullets at them and both were wounded in their legs.
Knowing the car was a death trap, they jumped out and rolled into a ditch on the side of the road. From that vantage point, while bleeding from his wounds, Madad continued to shoot the enemy, with the body count around him reaching some 20 terrorists.
Even with a tourniquet he had jerry-rigged, however, the bleeding continued and eventually sapped his strength. He lay in the ditch for about two-and-a-half hours before an IDF force arrived at the spot.
It was at this point, ironically, that he was perhaps in the most danger he had been in all day. Because he was dressed in civilian clothes and had a weapon, they thought he was another terrorist, and though he tried to call out that he was a Jew and a soldier, his voice was too weak for them to hear.
Just as they were about to kill him, one of the men suddenly called out, "Don't shoot, he's wearing tzitzit," noticing the strings of the ritual fringed garment hanging out from under his shirt. The soldiers immediately evacuated him to hospital, where he was operated on and his life was saved.
Thousands of tzitzit are being tied in religious communities to be sent to soldiers in a sign of solidarity and hope for Divine protection they could afford their wearers, even if not in such dramatic fashion as Madad experienced on the first day of the war.
worldisraelnews.com | |
WATCH: Soldiers on eve of possible ground operation, gathered, make their determination clear
| | | Along with thousands, my wife and I attended a funeral for a soldier we never knew—and hit the ground as Hamas attacked Jerusalem When I went out this morning to buy water, there was almost none left. "It's OK," I said to myself walking home, thinking about how I was going to tell my wife. "We'll be OK." Or we won't. Daniel Gordis  Like all Israelis who are not at the front or otherwise called up, we're watching way too much news. It's debilitating and depressing, and even the news is warning viewers not to watch too much news.
Bibi was supposed to address the nation at 8:00 pm last night, so Elisheva joined me in the study. The TV had been on forever, the news droning and droning, the emerging stories so horrifying that you could start to be numb.
But Bibi didn't show, and by 9:00 pm, Elisheva said, "I'm going upstairs to bed. You should turn off the TV and come up, too."
Before we turned off the TV, though, some Home Front Command officer was interviewed about the heating up Lebanese front. Hezbollah in Lebanon, of course, makes Hamas look like cub scouts. If Hezbollah gets into this —with their thousands and thousands of precision missiles than can hit any bridge, any hospital, any power plant, any airport, anything in Israel—this is going to turn into something very different.
Israel has promised time and again that if Hezbollah attacks the Jewish state, we will "return Southern Lebanon to the stone age." No one doubts that. No one here has any problem with that. We just wonder what it will be like here during the days that it takes to get that done.
So what was the Home Front Command telling us?
Stock up on water. A lot of it. Make sure you have dry food. And DO NOT take the handles off your safe room doors.
After the horror stories Israelis have been hearing about how terrorists tried to turn the handles from the outside as terrified husbands and wives used all their might to hold the handle inside, Israelis have been sharing social media clips telling people to take off the handles, so that once you're in, you'll be safe.
But the Home Front says that's dangerous. You also have to be able to get out. DO NOT take off the handles, he repeated. Find something in the house that's the right height that you can brace under the handle so it can't be moved down into the unlocked position. And make sure you have your food and the water with you in there so you don't need to open the door to get it.
Lovely.
Elisheva went upstairs, I had two quick Zoom conversations, and then I went up, too. When we were too tired to read, which was almost immediately, we toyed with turning on the bedroom TV. "No, that's not smart. We need to not do that, we need to detox from the news. Enough." OK, no news, we agreed.
I was reading something when she mumbled something about getting some water from the kitchen. But I saw her take her phone. So I went into one of the empty kids' rooms and closed the door. With my phone, of course.
When the charade was over, we actually tried to go to sleep. "Whoever wakes up first," she said (which was itself kind of funny since in 42 years, I've never woken up after her), "should go get water. And you should get nuts. And peanut butter. And jelly. Get some crackers. Don't bother with bread. I tried today and there already was nothing to buy."
Normally, I get up and go to shul, then do what needs to be done. Today, I reversed the order so I could get to the stores early. I went to the bigger one in the neighborhood, figuring my chances were better there. There was a six pack of water, so I took it. It's not a small store, but I couldn't find any other packs of water. "Where's the water?" I asked the cashier. "Gone," he said. "You got the last one. Try in the afternoon. Maybe we'll get more."
Armed with my water, tuna, nuts everything else I'd been instructed to get, I walked home, and stopped by the little grocery at the top of our street. A bit sheepish about carrying in all the stuff I'd bought at the other store, I asked Roni, the guy from whom we've been buying groceries for 25 years, "any water?" He laughed. "Not since yesterday morning."
It's tense here, and I really wanted my wife to wake up to a fully stocked safe room. We'll have some, but not what we'd hoped to have. "It'll be OK," I told myself. "We'll be fine." _______________________________________________________________________________________________
Now, for that video above.
Yesterday afternoon, I got a WhatsApp which I quickly translated and reposted on Facebook. It read as follows:
There is a very strange custom in this country about lone soldiers, people who had just gotten here, joined the army and fallen in battle. No one is willing for them to be buried with a small gathering, especially during war when their buddies are still at the front fighting and thus cannot attend the funeral (which was the case yesterday). So word goes out, please come. And people do. Not dozens. Not hundreds. They come by the thousands. Every time. To be at the funeral of someone they'd never heard of until a few hours earlier.
I showed Elisheva the Hebrew text we'd gotten. "OK," she said. Several hours later, we were in the car, soon in a massive traffic jam on the way to the military cemetery at Mount Herzl. It was so packed, we couldn't even get to the level of the actual ceremony, but I was able to get a quick shot of the people far outside, still trying to get as close as they could.
 Remember that none of those people had ever even heard of Netanel Young a few hours earlier. And this was the very edge of the huge crowd.
The funeral started a bit late … not surprising, as the army has a few things to deal with these days. So I had time to look around, even as we all listened to the sounds of warplanes racing and roaring above the clouds.
Two Haredi men (there were others, too), who I'm sure didn't know him. Two weeks ago, we and they were battling about the Draft Law, their parties threatening to bring down the government if it didn't pass, others threatening to bring the country to a standstill if it it.
Well, the country is at a standstill, but not because of the Draft Law. Yesterday, no one could even remember those debates of a few weeks ago.
 There was a woman praying by herself, the neatly tended military graves of another section clearly visible behind her.
A father had brought his young daughter with him; they were standing not far from us. At a certain point during the eulogies, he leaned forward and buried his face on his young daughter's legs. And she knew to comfort him.
It brought me to tears. Such innocence. Such love. Such loss of innocence.
And then, in the middle of the sister's eulogy, we got what you heard in the video at the very top of this page: thousands of people were out in the open, no shelter anywhere, when the air siren went off.
The same people that you see standing in the other video of those gathered, you can now see lying on the ground, except for one soldier making sure everyone else was lying down. (Keep your sound on all the way to the end.)
When the siren stops, you'll see some people start to get up and the soldier commands everyone to say down. You can get hit by shrapnel for a few good minutes after the "boom." The boom is a very false "all clear" sign.
As as for the booms, listen at 1:17-1:25. You'll hear them. Some were interceptions by Iron Dome. Some were hits. There were casualties just outside Jerusalem.
Then we stood back up, and the funeral continued. danielgordis.substack.com | | How Israel was duped as Hamas planned devastating assault "This is our 9/11," said a spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces. "They got us."  A careful campaign of deception ensured Israel was caught off guard when Hamas launched its devastating attack, enabling a force using bulldozers, hang gliders and motorbikes to take on the Middle East's most powerful army.
Saturday's assault, the worst breach in Israel's defenses since Arab armies waged war in 1973, followed two years of subterfuge by Hamas that involved keeping its military plans under wraps and convincing Israel it did not want a fight.
While Israel was led to believe it was containing a war-weary Hamas by providing economic incentives to Gazan workers, the group's fighters were being trained and drilled, often in plain sight, a source close to Hamas said.
This source provided many of the details for the account of the attack and its buildup that has been pieced together by Reuters. Three sources within Israel's security establishment, who like others asked not to be identified, also contributed to this account.
"Hamas gave Israel the impression that it was not ready for a fight," said the source close to Hamas, describing plans for the most startling assault since the Yom Kippur War 50 years ago when Egypt and Syria surprised Israel and made it fight for its survival.
"Hamas used an unprecedented intelligence tactic to mislead Israel over the last months, by giving a public impression that it was not willing to go into a fight or confrontation with Israel while preparing for this massive operation," the source said.
Israel concedes it was caught off guard by an attack timed to coincide with the Jewish Sabbath and a religious holiday. Hamas fighters stormed into Israeli towns, killing at least 900 Israelis and abducting dozens. Israel has killed m ore than 400 Palestinians in its retaliation on Gaza since then.
"This is our 9/11," said Major Nir Dinar, spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces. "They got us."
"They surprised us and they came fast from many spots - both from the air and the ground and the sea."
Osama Hamdan, the Hamas representative in Lebanon, told Reuters the attack showed Palestinians had the will to achieve their goals "regardless of Israel's military power and capabilities."
'They ran riot'
In one of the most striking elements of their preparations, Hamas constructed a mock Israeli settlement in Gaza where they practiced a military landing and trained to storm it, the source close to Hamas said, adding they even made videos of the maneuvers.
"Israel surely saw them but they were convinced that Hamas wasn't keen on getting into a confrontation," the source said.
Meanwhile, Hamas sought to convince Israel it cared more about ensuring that workers in Gaza, a narrow strip of land with more than two million residents, had access to jobs across the border and had no interest in starting a new war.
"Hamas was able to build a whole image that it was not ready for a military adventure against Israel," the source said.
Since a 2021 war with Hamas, Israel has sought to provide a basic level of economic stability in Gaza by offering incentives including thousands of permits so Gazans can work in Israel or the West Bank, where salaries in construction, agriculture or service jobs can be 10 times the level of pay in Gaza.
"We believed that the fact that they were coming in to work and bringing money into Gaza would create a certain level of calm. We were wrong," another Israeli army spokesperson said.
An Israeli security source acknowledged Israel's security services were duped by Hamas. "They caused us to think they wanted money," the source said. "And all the time they were involved in exercises/drills until they ran riot."
As part of its subterfuge in the past two years, Hamas refrained from military operations against Israel, even as another Gaza-based Islamist armed group known as Islamic Jihad launched a series of its own assaults or rocket attacks.
No inkling
The restraint shown by Hamas drew public criticism from some supporters, again aimed at building an impression that Hamas had economic concerns not a new war on its mind, the source said.
In the West Bank, controlled by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah group, there were those who mocked Hamas for going quiet. In one Fatah statement published in June 2022, the group accused Hamas leaders of fleeing to Arab capitals to live in "luxurious hotels and villas" leaving their people to poverty in Gaza.
A second Israeli security source said there was a period when Israel believed the movement's leader in Gaza, Yahya Al-Sinwar, was preoccupied with managing Gaza "rather than killing Jews." At the same time, Israel turned its focus away from Hamas as it pushed for a deal to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia, he added.
Israel has long prided itself on its ability to infiltrate and monitor Islamist groups. As a consequence, the source close to Hamas said, a crucial part of the plan was to avoid leaks.
Many Hamas leaders were unaware of the plans and, while training, the 1,000 fighters deployed in the assault had no inkling of the exact purpose of the exercises, the source added.
When the day came, the operation was divided into four parts, the Hamas source said, describing the various elements.
The first move was a barrage of 3,000 rockets fired from Gaza that coincided with incursions by fighters who flew hang gliders, or motorized paragliders, over the border, the source said. Israel has previously said 2,500 rockets were fired at first.
Once the fighters on hang-gliders were on the ground, they secured the terrain so an elite commando unit could storm the fortified electronic and cement wall built by Israel to prevent infiltration.
The fighters used explosives to breach the barriers and then sped across on motorbikes. Bulldozers widened the gaps and more fighters entered in four-wheel drives, scenes that witnesses described.
'Huge failure'
A commando unit attacked the Israeli army's southern Gaza headquarters and jammed its communications, preventing personnel from calling commanders or each other, the source said.
The final part involved moving hostages to Gaza, mostly achieved early in the attack, the source close to Hamas said.
In one well-publicized hostage taking, fighters abducted party-goers fleeing a rave near the kibbutz of Re'im near Gaza. Social media footage showed dozens of people running through fields and on a road as gunshots were heard.
"How could this party happen this close (to Gaza)?" the Israeli security source said.
The Israeli security source said Israeli troops were below full strength in the south near Gaza because some had been redeployed to the West Bank to protect Israeli settlers following a surge of violence between them and Palestinian militants.
"They (Hamas) exploited that," the source said.
Dennis Ross, a former Middle East negotiator who is now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Israel had been distracted by violence in the West Bank, leading to a "thin, under-prepared presence in the south."
"Hamas probably succeeded beyond their expectation. Now they will have to deal with an Israel determined to decimate them," he said.
Retired General Yaakov Amidror, a former national security adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told reporters on Sunday the assault represented "a huge failure of the intelligence system and the military apparatus in the south."
Amidror, chairman of the National Security Council from April 2011-November 2013 and now senior fellow with the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, said some of Israel's allies had been saying that Hamas had acquired "more responsibility."
"We stupidly began to believe that it was true," he said. "So, we made a mistake. We are not going to make this mistake again and we will destroy Hamas, slowly but surely." jpost.com | | UN Security Council refuses to condemn Hamas war crimes against Israel The United Nations Security Council declined to condemn the war crimes committed by Hamas against Israel.
The war has so far resulted in 900 dead and more than 100 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, including children, babies and elderly women.
"This is Israel's 9/11," stated the Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan. "From now, nothing will be as it was."
Despite the UN's establishment post-Holocaust to uphold the "Never Again" principle, Erdan criticized its continuous failure to hold Hamas accountable for its actions.
"Hamas's war crimes must be unequivocally condemned," he said.
While the UNSC held a closed-door special meeting on the situation, no official statement was released afterward.
US Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, indicated that such a statement was not the immediate priority for Washington.
"What's important now is that the international community shows its solidarity with Israel. We have Israel's back fully," Wood declared.
The focus of the meeting also encompassed the proportionate response and protection of civilians, as noted by the United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the UN, Lana Nusseibeh. The humanitarian impact was highlighted through mounting evidence on social media showcasing the civilian cost, including images of elderly individuals and children abducted by Hamas. Erdan slammed these as "blatant documented war crimes."
In a vivid account, Erdan detailed the atrocities, comparing the terrorists to Nazis and noting that some of the elderly victims were Holocaust survivors.
Predictably, the Palestinian Authority envoy to the UN, Riyad Mansour, drew attention to the Palestinian suffering and cautioned against international backing for an Israeli military initiative in Gaza. He emphasized the human cost on the Palestinian side and urged the international community to reevaluate their stance on the ongoing conflict.
Erdan equated Hamas to globally recognized terror entities such as ISIS and al-Qaeda. He reprimanded the international community for previously failing to censure Hamas and accepting it as a representative voice for the Palestinian populace. Reflecting on past events, Erdan reminded the world of the diverted international aid intended for Gaza's rehabilitation but used for terror activities.
In closing remarks, Erdan warned of the broader implications of the conflict. "Israel may be under attack today, but this is a war on civilization. Israel is at the forefront of the war on terror, and if we do not succeed, the whole world will pay the price," he proclaimed.
US Deputy Ambassador Wood echoed similar sentiments, urging all Security Council members to categorically denounce the terror acts and said all attempts to draw a "false" equivalency between the Hamas assault on Israel and IDF actions to ensure security was "unacceptable."
"It's terrorism, plain and simple," he said. worldisraelnews.com | | Grandmother outsmarts Hamas terrorists in her home Rachel and David Edri survived a harrowing 20-hour ordeal, holed up with four terrorists in their own home in Ofakim. Etgar Lefkovits  The Hamas gunman aimed his rifle at the elderly couple in their home in southern Israel early Saturday morning. He held a grenade on Rachel Edri's head, began screaming "Allah Akbar" and announced that he was a "martyr."
But Edri maintained her composure.
Thinking quickly, she offered the group of five terrorists refreshments, and later a meal, engaging them in small talk, playing for time until security personnel could arrive.
For the next 20 hours, Rachel and her husband, David, underwent a harrowing ordeal with the five Palestinian terrorists holed up in their home.
"I do not know how I am alive," she recounted in an interview on Sunday.
A Saturday-morning nightmare
It was around 7 a.m. on Saturday when the rocket warning siren wailed in the city of Ofakim, about 12 miles west of Beersheva and far out of range of the Israeli communities along the border with Hamas-run Gaza. The Edris made their way to the community shelter to take cover from the thousands of rockets that Hamas had just blasted at Israel in a coordinated, multi-stage surprise assault that would be the most lethal attack on the country in the last half-century.
As they made their way back to their home, Edri noticed that one of the bedroom windows had been broken into when suddenly she and her husband were surrounded by the five armed Hamas terrorists who had snuck in during a rocket attack.
"My first thought was my two sons because they are in the police forces," she recounted in the interview. "Thank the Lord, they weren't home because I was afraid they would be murdered first."
The attackers, who were also armed with a rocket launcher, placed a grenade on Edri's head and aimed their Kalashnikov rifles at her and husband, ordering them inside their home.
Small talk and refreshments
"I started to talk to them. Have you had something to drink? Would you like tea or coffee?" she offered, seeking to distract them.
Meanwhile, an elite police force had arrived outside their house, accompanied by her police officer son, who had gotten word of the attack and rushed to his parents' house. An officer attempted to negotiate with the terrorists to get Rachel released to no avail.
"No, we will all die," one of the terrorists responded to an offer to speak with his family by phone, she related.
Edri had the police negotiator bring in coffee and cookies, which they placed at the edge of the room.
"It was like we were in a dream, and we did not know what would happen to us," she recounts.
As time passed, Edri was concerned that her captors would get agitated as a result of hunger and so she offered them lunch.
"If they were hungry, that would have been the end of me and my husband," she said.
Prayer
Undeterred by the ever-present danger, Edri began to talk with her captors, asking them where they were from and trying to dissuade them from their planned murder.
"I told them don't do it—we are brothers," she said.
"No, I am a shahid," one of the terrorists replied, using the Arab word for "martyr," and pointed his gun at her husband.
"Rachel, they are going to shoot us," her husband said. "He was totally helpless," she recalled.
"Come sit by me," she told her husband. "We will read the [Jewish prayer of] Shema Yisrael and God will be with us," she added.
Later, the hostage negotiator asked Rachel from just outside how many terrorists were in the house. She put her hand on the side of her head and signaled five with her fingers.
"Rachel, don't you dare," the terrorist warned her. "I just have a headache," she responded.
Meanwhile, outside their house a gun battle ensued, leaving one of the captors, who had stepped out, dead. But four remained inside.
As the afternoon wore on, Edri offered to bandage the injured hand of one of the terrorists, and, seeking to soothe him, brought him water as well as some canned pineapple. "You look pallid, "she told him. Take something to eat; you will feel better."
As night closed in, the attackers became anxious that they would be surrounded, and Edri herself began to lose it, despite her outward demeanor.
"I didn't think we would make it," she confessed. "I kept reading the Shema Yisrael."
Rescue
Outside, the elite rescue team was getting ready to make their move.
From just outside their home, the Edris' son had drawn them a detailed diagram of the building's interior. He begged to join the team but was told he could not.
At night, Edri was near her husband on the couch, with the four terrorists less than two feet away. In the early morning hours, the rescue team, aided by a drone and the outline of the house that their son had drawn, burst into the home through the roof with a special rescue dog, killing all four terrorists. The Edris escaped unscathed. Rachel's only injury was an inadvertent scratch from the dog.
"I just don't know how I am alive," she recounted on Sunday. "I just don't know how I am living."
As she was walked to the hospital by the security forces she kept thanking them, expressing disbelief that she was alive and thanking them for their heroism.
"No Rachel, we're not the heroes," one of them replied. "You're the hero." jns.org | | JFK Airport hosts chartered flights for Israeli soldiers after Hamas attack The military reservists were preparing to board at least two specially chartered flights to Israel, where they will join a burgeoning war effort. Julia Bergely  The El Al desk at JFK Airport's Terminal 4 was brimming with quiet anxiety on Monday as dozens of travelers waited to be checked in holding two documents: their passport, and their emergency summons from the Israel Defense Forces.
The military reservists were preparing to board at least two specially chartered flights to Israel, where they will join a burgeoning war effort. Since Saturday's invasion of southern Israel by Hamas, which killed at least 900 Israelis, the country has called up an unprecedented 300,000 reservists for what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a "massive attack" on the terror group.
That callup brought Isra elis from New York City and beyond to the JFK terminal, where the check-in operation of Israel's national carrier felt less chaotic than usual: Airline attendants were helping the men move through the process quickly, while hordes of volunteers had appeared to drop off food and equipment as well as make sure everyone knew where they needed to go.
"I'm just thinking about my team back in Israel," said Noam, an Israeli man who lives in New York. "They're already been called up together so I'm just waiting to join them."
Noam, who served in a special forces unit in the IDF, found out he was called up for reserve duty on Monday morning. By 1 p.m., he was checking for a 4 p.m. flight to Israel.
Joining the war effort
Another Israeli man from the city said he was "just so tired." Like several of those waiting in line, he was hesitant to speak to press for security reasons.
A third man had flown in from his home in Kansas that morning.
"They just told us to get here, and they would take care of it," he said. "We don't know what's going to happen, but we are here."
Not everyone trying to get to Israel on Monday was a soldier heading to war — some were just visiting the US and hoping to get back home. Delta Airlines, American Airlines and United Airlines have all suspended flights to Israel amid travel advisories from the U.S. State Department. Around the world, airlines from Europe and Asia, including Air France and Lufthansa, are temporarily suspending their flights to Tel Aviv as well.
"We're feeling anxious to get back," said Shira, who immigrated to Israel with her husband three years ago. The couple, who were visiting family in the New York area for the fall Jewish holiday season, originally had flights to Israel scheduled for Thursday that were canceled by Delta. Shira's husband hoped to leave Monday afternoon; she had found a ticket to leave next week.
El Al is still operating its flights, and several WhatsApp groups have emerged to help reservists outside of Israel find their way back to the country. The groups help the reservists both find flights and pay for them, as the cost of a one-way El Al ticket has spiked to more than $2,000.
On Monday, another Israeli man had come to the airport just to get reimbursed by the airline for his ticket — he had given up his seat on a flight that day because "there are soldiers that need to go today." It was unclear what he needed to do next, he said, in order to get back home.
Still others came to the airport to help those who were traveling. Boxes and boxes of food intended for the travelers were stacked in the terminal.
"We're all looking to help in some way. People don't know who to turn to," said Elan Kornblum, the New York-based administrator of "Great Kosher Restaurant Foodies," a Facebook group that has 91,000 members and which was helping organize and deliver food to JFK. It has previously organized food drives responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"I wish I could help answer all the questions, but we're not set up for that," Kornblum said. "But when it comes to food, when it comes to delivering things and getting people to do it, that's what we're best at and that's what we've been doing."
Currently, the group has solicited donations of hamburgers, pies, cookies, sandwiches, energy bars and coffee — all from kosher eateries and grocery stores in the New York area. The food will go toward soldiers heading to Israel and Israelis stuck in New York. Kornblum hopes to direct some of the donations to families in which one parent had to fly to Israel for reserve duty.
"There's a lot of information on social media, it can get overwhelming," he said. "You're inundated with so much going on. I'm trying to just filter it all, to put it out there how people can help, to get them involved, hopefully to inspire and educate."
One Israeli man showed up to volunteer at the terminal after being alerted to an opportunity to help on a WhatsApp group. He currently lives in New York and said he is likely too old to be called from the reserves.
"It's really hard to hear this news and feel like you can't do anything. My wife and family are here in New York," he said. "This is really something small, but I still came to help." jpost.com | | Mourning Two Israeli Heroes Colonel Roi Levy and Aharon Haimov were killed while trying to save the lives of others. Eliyahu Freedman The loss of a single human life is equated to the destruction of an entire world. With more than 700 Israelis killed, it is impossible to do justice to the lives that have been lost and worlds that have been destroyed. At the very least, let us honor the memories of those who fell in their attempt to save lives and do our best to create a world based upon their example.
In Judaism, one who passed away "for the sake of heaven" is considered to be a hero. Tragically, Jewish history is full of such examples of heroes from the Crusades to the Holocaust and more recent battles in Israeli history. Tragically, here are the stories of just two of brave Israeli heroes. May their memory be for a blessing.
Colonel Roi Levy, 44
 IDF Colonel Roi Levy was born in America and raised in Jerusalem. He quickly climbed the ranks of the Israeli Defense Forces where he led several elite units such as the 1st Golani Brigade and the 'Egoz' unit that specializes in guerilla warfare. Seriously wounded in the 2013 Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, Roi initially refused to leave the battlefield and have his injuries treated. He would not leave his brothers, under his command, without their leader.
Eventually, Roi took a temporary break from combat and earned a master's degree in law at Bar-Ilan University. With his outstanding capabilities and bravery, he was unable to stay away from protecting his nation for long after rehabilitating from his injury and managed to return to the IDF three years later.
"I will be the first to enter Gaza for the next war and not to settle the score. There is an enemy there that hides behind children. With my own eyes I saw how a Hamas terrorist tried to fire an RPG on our tank, but feared to enter the field of destruction that we were pointed towards, so he did it while holding a young child who reached only his chest. In another instance, Hamas terrorists fired a Kasam rocket from an area with hundreds of children… we did not fire towards them," Roi told the Israeli newspaper Ynet at that time.
 In 2018, Roi was specially chosen by IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot to light the IDF torch on Israel's 70th Independence Day and his unit also received the Chief of Staff's Prize for Excellence.
When Hamas terrorists penetrated the Gaza border and began a mass killing spree of Israeli civilians in nearby villages, Roi led a group of fighters to recapture the Israeli towns. The worst of Saturday's violence occurred in the area of Kibbutz Re'im when several hundred young Israelis were ambushed, kidnapped and executed attending a nature festival. Roi fell in combat in what is now known as the 'battle of Re'im.'
A childhood friend of Roi's, Saryah Lotan, offered these words of eulogy: "I was not surprised to hear what he did. The moment I read and heard from friends that he entered the front lines to enter and save who were still alive in Kibbutz Reim. He was a leader in every fiber of his being. He was always a leader… His soldiers admired him. He was my best friend but many people could say this, because he gave this feeling to everyone without diminishing from the others. He was a rare person --- they say the best of us are taken and this is true. He was a hero, the best person that I ever met."
Roi is survived by his wife Yael and their five children in the community of Shavei Tziyon.
Aharon Haimov, 25
 Early in the morning of October 7, Aharon responded to distress calls from the nearby Gaza area from his home in Ofakim and quickly reported to duty as a civilian driver for Israel's Magen David Adom ambulance service. On his way to treat the wounded, he was murdered by gunfire by Hamas terrorists.
Eli Bin, the Director General of Magen David Adom said in a eulogy for Aharon: "For every complex security event, volunteers and staff of Magen David Adom are found on site in order to provide professional first aid to the wounded. Aharon was a 'salt of the earth' kind of person, and an outstanding example of the staff and volunteers of Magen David Adom. Aharon, a person for whom the well-being of others and the value of human life were always before him including today, on this tragic morning. The passing of Aharon leaves us in great pain and honoring his path. The volunteers and staff of Magen David Adom salute Aharon and hug his family - an inseparable part of the Magen David Adom family. May his memory be for a blessing."
Aharon is survived by his wife, two children, family members and friends. aish.com | | | | |
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