As promised, I’m back to tell you about the incredibly powerful day my son and I spent touring the Gaza periphery during our visit to Israel last month.

When planning our itinerary, the one thing I knew I wanted to do was go to the South. We had to actually be there — walk in the places we had only read about, see them firsthand.

So we researched, and eventually we found the perfect day trip. JNF was running a trip that encompassed everything we wanted: We would start by volunteering at a moshav; then go to the Nova site; then to Tekuma, to the car cemetery; and finally to an army base to end the day at a barbecue with soldiers.

So now I was not only counting the days until I would be in Israel and see my youngest son; I was counting the days until what sounded like it would be a very meaningful experience.

And let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

In fact, I think JNF undersold this trip; that’s how special the day was.

We boarded the bus at the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem at 7:45 a.m., and I knew right away that this was no ordinary trip. Our tour guide, Tom, was exceptional from the start; he had stories to tell. And he wanted to share them. But he also wanted to get to know us. So he spent the bus ride speaking with those in the group, unlike me, who did not fall asleep. Don’t blame me, it was early!

As we got closer, though, no one was sleeping. And Tom was telling stories about the shelters we passed along the highway — stories about people we had heard or read about, and how they did, or did not, survive the horrors of Oct. 7. Stories about the kibbutzim we were distantly passing, giving us a taste of the rest of our day.

Soon we arrived at our first stop, a moshav that was “right next to Be’eri,” as Tom told us, but was fortunately spared on Oct. 7. Yet, given the current situation, the moshav now has many fewer workers than in the past and the farmer is constantly in need of assistance. Organizations like JNF send volunteers to help pick crops: We spent several hours picking oranges, but watermelons and potatoes are also grown on this moshav. What started out as easy, fun work got pretty tiring toward the end, and I had plenty of scratches on my arms from reaching into the trees. But it felt so good to help. And the farmer could not have been kinder or more appreciative.

Our group was proud to learn that we had picked more oranges than a group of soldiers who had come several weeks earlier. We were very industrious!

After we cheered our accomplishments and said goodbye to the farmer, we headed to a small wooded area nearby for lunch, courtesy of Holy Bagel. All that work had made us hungry.

After lunch our day completely changed. We headed to the site of the Nova music festival, and it was pretty much exactly what you’d expect. Except it wasn’t.

Because standing there, right at the spot where hundreds of people — who just wanted to dance and party and be happy — were murdered, and so many others taken hostage, you could still feel the dueling emotions of innocence and evil in the air.

We walked around and saw tributes to so many people whose names we recognized, some of whose fates we know, but many more that are still unknown. It was hard. It was beyond sad.

Tom took the opportunity to tell us about his friend, Jenny, who was murdered on Oct. 7. You could see how, to this day, he is still so affected by this loss. This was just a microcosm of the entirety of the country; everyone has a story to tell.

Then Tom told us something astounding. “Do you remember the four hostages who were rescued back in June? Almog is my cousin.” We got a personal update on how Almog is doing. “Surprisingly well, considering,” Tom told us. At the time, Almog was on his second trip to the U.S., advocating on behalf of the remaining hostages.

Then we gathered with two other JNF groups to hear from a Nova survivor. He had his own powerful story to tell, starting at 6:29 on the morning of Oct. 7; he shared how he and a friend managed to survive, literally against all odds. And how they saved others along the way. The story seems etched into his memory, and the retelling appears cathartic — from that morning until weeks later, when he finally had time to reflect and realized that, like many others, he needed some help to process everything that had happened. So he started therapy. And it has helped him begin to move forward.

After this, we headed to Tekuma, to the car cemetery, or what’s known as the Car Wall. And Tom told us stories about some of the vehicles.

There was the white truck that made it all the way to Sderot that day, with Palestinian terrorists aboard. According to Tom, that truck now serves as a reminder of Oct. 7 and its value has plummeted in Israel because no one wants to buy it. Anyone who does is sure to immediately put Israeli flags on both sides to lessen the trauma response of the Israelis who see it.

Then there was the ambulance that, tragically, burned up with multiple people inside. Tom told us that they were unable to identify some of the victims as the bodies had actually fused together from the flames.

And then came a surprising bright spot to that visit: A group of soldiers asked if we wanted to light Chanukah candles with them. We joined them for the brachot and singing Maoz Tzur. It was a little surreal, feeling joy in that place, but I think we felt we were honoring the memories of the victims somehow. By not letting Hamas win. By feeling joy.

We left Tekuma and headed to our final stop. When we arrived at Zikim army base, Tom checked his phone, then asked, “Does anyone know what just happened here? Do you have the Red Alert app?”

We discovered that there had been a red alert 15 minutes before we arrived due to a drone sent from Yemen, and the entire base had just left the shelters. But when we got there? Business as usual, and the soldiers were happily waiting for us!

After a delicious barbecue dinner and another Chanukah menorah lighting, with more singing, we got a very “special” surprise. Soldiers from Special in Uniform were at the base to perform for us, and we could not have ended our day on a more perfect “note.”

For those of you who may not know, Special in Uniform is a JNF program that integrates young adults with disabilities into the IDF. The program focuses on the skills and talents of each participant to help them find a perfect place within the IDF. The young men and women who performed for us were talented singers, and our entire group broke out in circle dancing as we sang along.

After a dessert of sufganiyot, we boarded the buses and headed back to Jerusalem, tired but extremely fulfilled. A huge thank you to JNF for putting together this program, and especially to Tom for making the day as powerful and memorable as it was.

Jill Kirsch is the senior editor at The Jewish Link. She continues to pray for all the hostages to come home.