JEWISH WORLD

16 JEWISH WORLD • JUNE 14-20, 2024 (fter The Flood Discovering a new Israel after October 7 By VIVIANE BREITBART L eaving Israel after October 7th created a sense of pain, void and helplessness in me. Whether you were there or not, no Jew has been the same since then. Our world remains in disbelief, sur- rounded by a cloak of darkness, blurred in the fog of hate spreading way too quickly everywhere, taint- ing every aspect of our lives. The missing clarity pierces our souls, gives us anxiety, leaves us insecure. A good remedy that alleviated part of these feelings was returning to Israel, which I had the privilege to do with the One Israel Fund mis- sion in December 2023 with my husband Arnie. I have been to Israel dozens of times, but no visit matched this one. With the exceptional guidance of Eve Harow, Director of Tourism and Education, and Scott Feltman, Executive Director at the One Israel Fund, I discovered a part of Israel which I’d read about without really understanding or appreciating its vi- tal significance. I could not believe how ignorant and naive I had been for so many years about the reality of living in Judea, Samaria and near the Gaza strip. My Israel experience has previ- ously consisted of visits to Jerusa- lem, Tel Aviv, treks to the North, Negev and Eilat – the tourist spots, with little exposure to Judea and Sa- maria. This trip gave me the oppor- tunity of meeting the exceptional Israelis living in the Shiloh area, in Gush Etzion, the Jordan Valley and the Gaza border, including the com- munity of Netiv HaAsara, as well as the farmers of the magnificent vege- table greenhouses south of Ash- kelon. In these areas, the women stood out – proud yet humble, strong yet vulnerable, courageous yet worried. In the heart of Gush Etzion, in the breathtaking “Lamed Heh Forest” at the Kashuela Farm, we met Te- chiya, a mother of five, ranging from an infant to a 15-year-old daughter, alone since her husband left for war, running a sheep farm by herself with the help of 15-year- old, herding hundreds of sheep. This family is there to safeguard the land which nearby Arabs villagers have been pillaging by cutting down trees, committing arson attacks and intruding in the nearby Jewish com- munities. I could not believe the dedication of this family, true pio- neers, literally living the life of Avraham and Sara – sacrificing their safety, facing constant danger, all to protect the land and the way of life of our patriarchs. Living with daily danger, insecu- rity and risk – that is also the reality of the Tekoa community where we met with Sharon Iluz, representing the women of the Home Front Command, and with the sister of Koby Mandell, who was blud- geoned to death while on a hike in May 2001. These women, also alone since their husbands are fighting in Gaza, are now responsible for main- taining the security of the Tekoa community, as well as advocating for increased security in the area. The beautiful home of our host Sha- ron faces the Herodian, the magnifi- cent ancient fortress in the Judean hills, and directly nearby is the city of Bethlehem, from which the belt of Jewish hamlets faces constant in- cursions. T he same situation was described by another brilliant woman, Al- iza Pilichowski, mayor of Mitzpe Jericho, a moshav blessed with most stunning views but also living with the challenge of warding off the prospect of dangerous intrusions from nearby Jericho. Yet another remarkable woman is Ruti Gillis, who after her husband Shmuel was killed in 2001 in a ter- rorist attack, decided to deal with her pain by founding the Pina Cha- ma – the Warm Corner for Soldiers in Gush Etzion, a resting area where soldiers can have warm drinks, sweet treats and a loving welcome by the volunteers, many of whom are women who also lost their hus- bands to terrorists attacks. The soldiers we met throughout our trip radiated smiles, gratitude, warmth and surprise at our admira- tion and affection. At Pina Chama soldiers received cookies baked by the bakery in Gvaot Village run by young adults with special needs, as well as our gifts, including letters, watches, battery packs and ear buds. At the Herodian IDF base, soldiers enjoyed a delicious barbecue as we danced with them to the music of a DJ. Here they also received tzitzit we made one evening under the su- pervision of artist Suri Provisor, who helped us appreciate and under- stand the meaning of the 7/8/11/13 knots. Our group danced with joy, emotion and love for this young, courageous, beautiful group of sol- diers. The togetherness and unity of these men and women was palpable. FI9:T 7,9:65 :o many communities displaced by 6ctober need to rein]ent themsel]es to create a new life for sur]i]ors of the massacre. /uman encounter is essential to appreciate the soul of Israel, what Israelis are doing to protect their lo]e of life, their sacred past. Women of the Home Front, Tekoa. The Har Herzl Military Museum. Marc Provisor (left) with members of the Shiloh Bloc Kitat.