Gefen Chazen, OT Shlicha 2017-18

Shalom to my OT family,

I’m writing to you from Jerusalem after finishing a 16 hour shift (with a half hour “break” in the bomb shelter) in keeping Israel’s safety.

There are no words to describe what is happening in our beloved country right now.

This Saturday, we woke up to an absolute nightmare, the horrific war crimes of Hamas – almost a thousand Israelis were murdered, thousands were injured and an unknown amount of children, elderly, women and soldiers were kidnapped. Whole families were wiped out of this world and the images and videos are completely disturbing. That morning when all my family gathered to celebrate my birthday and Sukkot, we had to stop and I drove my boyfriend to his base after he was called to serve in the IDF. He is now somewhere near Gaza and we have little contact and I pray to hear from him whenever he gets the chance to tell me he’s okay. My cousin was called up north near Lebanon.

And I’m here in the heart of Israel as my heart is torn and aching. I’m scared and extremely tired, but I am positive our nation will prevail.

I apologize for not sending a more optimistic message, but we are still all in shock and trying to comprehend this disaster. I want to thank you for your messages and prayers; it makes me feel better and that we are not alone.

I would like to ask for your support for the people who are in need and specifically for our brave soldiers. Thank you, miss you and hoping to see you in peaceful days!

Noy Peri, OT Shlicha 2018-20

The past few days were the most horrible I’ve experienced. The first alarm at 6:30 caught me cuddling with my daughter, Niv. Ben came screaming running and grabbing Niv, going down 3 floors to the shelter. I grabbed Billy (our dog) and ran as well. From there – nightmare. Terrorists all over. In the beginning, I told my friends that at least 200 were murdered. I wish it was this number. We will reach 1,000 people at least.

A father of my friend murdered, another father missing, my friend and her family trapped hours in the shelter in Nahal Oz and rescued while terrorists going through every house and shooting. More and more stories. A country in PTSD crying.

Niv and me are with my parents, Ben just left to the reserves in the Artillery force in the northern border, my friends are all in reserves. 360,000 Israelis going on reserves. We have an amazing spirit, seeing so many people in the streets donating, doing everything in their power to keep helping. Sad yet so proud of my people.

We will win, no doubt. We will bring back all the hostages and they will regret. Thank you everyone for checking in and keeping us in your mind. Thankful for my community.

Talk to people you know, be our ambassadors of change, support us and pray we will be better.

תודה רבה

Mala Hod, OT Shlicha 2021-22

My Dear Olam Tikvah Family,

Thank you for all the care. It is moving, giving so much strength and heartwarming. 

"When evil-doing comes like falling rain, nobody calls out "stop!" When crimes begin to pile up they become invisible." -Bertolt Brecht. 

This is poem I learned in literature by Jewish poet Bertolt Brecht and decided it will help me know when "evil-doing falls like rain." I've been getting so much support and care from all of you these past few days. I've seen how aware and awake you are to reality. And I've seen you call out "stop." It's good to know, as hard, awful, horrible and scary times are now in Israel, we are strong. Good, kind and light are standing and giving a strong and brave fight in front of evil. Light from all over, support in Israel and from all the Jewish people. America's support of the State of Israel (and to me in correlation with the Jewish people) is moving and heartwarming to everyone here. The support we get from the Jewish community is heartwarming and feels so personal and caring. Thank you. We are doing whatever we can to stand in front of these in-human horrors and seek for our inner power to do as much good as we can. 

Hanna Senesh wrote this poem:

"In the fire of war, I light my small candle to look for a human. 

The fire is burning, its light is blinding 

How will I know that human 

When I see them before me?

.....

Even in Fire, in Blood, in flame - 

I will know that holy, eternal light, 

The light I am seeking, in man"

The recruitment for serving in reserves in Israel stands at around 150%. People are with no doubt recruited to do whatever is needed with great responsibility and bravery. Fighting forward as they lose their comrades day by day and sometimes going between fighting and mourning in the difference of hours. Going from Mt. Herzl (Israel's national military cemetery) straight back to the field. 

We citizens are working hard to locate all the families who had been through the hardest horrors in the area around the Gaza strip (or in the north) and placing them, creating houses and making sure they have everything they need, bringing games and education, trying to create a routine, and be there for them. 

We are all driving to wherever we can to supply the army and give the displaced people whatever they need from boxers and socks, flashlights, mattresses, military supplies and food.

The morale is confusing. It's amazing to see how much people are doing all the time, KOL AM ISRAEL ACHIM - we are all family. But alongside it, every night ends with a horrible list of names, everyone knows someone. Young with so much life ahead or someone who is a husband, a father, a mother. All fight with bravery and for us all. 

These are hard times, my generation had not been through war before, Israel had never been through something like this. But we are strong, doing whatever is needed to do good, to be there for each other, to hope for better days. 

To whoever is looking for ways to help, first, I would like to say that just your care is already a lot of help. 

Wishing us all peaceful and quiet days.

Yehoon Bayih, OT Shaliach 2022-23

Hi everyone,

On Saturday morning, we woke up to the noise of screams and shaking of buildings (not something new to us). We thought to ourselves that a new round of wars is starting once again and we will have to go into shelters. As time goes by, me and other neighbors check on our cell phones the extent of the disaster and realize that this is something that has never happened before. The videos that were running on the net and what was happening put me and all my elderly neighbors under stress. We were all in shelters with pajamas and fear in my heart, but with faith that all this would end quickly. Little by little, when the calls continued and we saw what was happening in the settlements near us, we understood that this is a state of war. Luckily, my neighbors are good people who help each other and everyone started to take care of each other. During the next hours, when we saw what was happening to our brothers in the south who are only 30 km from us, a huge cry started in our shelter.

My family and I are fine. My brothers and cousins were sent to the reserves in Order 8. Also those who flew to the desert returned a day later and there are more on the way. I am currently working at Ben Gurion Airport and I can tell you wholeheartedly that such a mobilization of people who arrived in Israel was crazy to see. The unity of the people who went through horrors together and left their differences understanding that the battle for the house is much more important than the battle against each other's opposing politics. I heard that you are praying for the State of Israel. I thank you very much. I and my neighbors and all the people of Israel thank you.