Letters from Israel

On the first day of our mission we confronted the horrors of October 7. The second day was about the incredibly resilient responses. And now on the third day we delved into the lasting effects and challenges that make most Israelis feel like they are still waiting for the day after.  Lauren Tanzer shares about our experiences today:

After a delicious Israeli breakfast, we had the privilege of starting our day at the Reuth Rehab Hospital in Tel Aviv. The facility cares for patients needing rehabilitation and long term care. While there, Miriam - our amazing ambassador at the hospital - introduced us to a few patients.one in particular really stood out. Moshe, an ambulance driver, was the first ambulance to arrive at the Nova festival on the morning of 10/7. He saw the devastation there and aided in the efforts to support the victims - sharing that he pronounced more than 100 people dead on the scene. After leaving the Nova site, he proceeded to Be’eri where he helped treat 80 victims who were impacted by the massacre that began that morning. He stayed in the south for another few days until he was hit by shrapnel that wrecked his foot, requiring three surgeries. He’ll be at Reuth for another few months, after which he plans to return to driving his ambulance. Moshe noted that he hasn’t slept through the night in the 4+ months, however when asked if he’d help out providing medical support to Israeli’s in Gaza if needed, his response was “?למה לא”. It was clear that Moshe wants to do everything he can to help his country! 

After lunch at Levinsky Market in Tel Aviv - a fun spot to stop and enjoy the delicious Israeli food staples - we went to the location where Kibbutz Re’eim has been relocated since they were evacuated from the south. They now live all together in two large apartment buildings - very different from their beautiful kibbutz in the Gaza envelope. Bubu, a longtime kibbutznik, shared his experiences from 10/7. They lost several members of their kibbutz as terrorists invaded their homes and four people were taken hostage, all of whom have since been released. BuBu was incredibly brave as he quickly swung into action to protect his home and his kibbutz family against nearly 70 terrorists who invaded his kibbutz. Over the course for 24 hours, over 14 people were hiding out in his safe house, including some of the Nova attendees who ran away from the site of the massacre. 

After hearing Bubu’s story, we heard from Daniel who created Project 24  in response to the war. This organization supports 24 Kibbutzim who need help as they have been heavily impacted by the events of 10/7. They have done some remarkable work already to try and bring back some normalcy into people’s lives, but doing so in a way that impacts not only the receiver, but the giver too. Check out their website for more information and for ways you can help support this incredibly impactful work!

We ended our day in Hostages Square where we were met with the large display reminding us that it’s been 131 long and unbearable days since 10/7. There’s now a model tunnel on site to walk through depicting what the underground tunnel system may be like in Gaza - and what it must be like for the hostages to live in this unimaginable situation. The table set for Shabbat represents a beautifully set table on one side and the other displays what it may be like in Gaza - showing brown water and dirt on the table with food. Our visit there promptly ended with a thunderstorm and downpour, which somehow felt fitting. 

Throughout this experience, we continue to hear how important it is for us to be here in Israel. We also hear how much Israeli’s like hugs and need them now more than ever before. Looking forward to tomorrow where we’ll continue to find ways to help this amazing country.