Myriad stories of survival amid the devastating attacks brought by Hamas on October 7 have been shared in the months since that dark day. Arielle Ruback’s experience of life, loss and survival has remained largely unknown, until now.
The 21-year-old from Efrat—a native English speaker whose parents are from the United States—was serving as an Israel Defense Forces border observer as southern Israel was overrun.
Ruback will share her story—along with the stories of heroism and faith from her friends, many of whom were killed on Simchat Torah—at Congregation Ahavas Achim B’nai Jacob & David on Wednesday, September 11 at 7:45 p.m. It is open to the community.
The program is being facilitated by the Global Israel Alliance’s Widows of Warriors Project, which helps the widows of IDF soldiers. The project is spearheaded by West Orange native Moshe Rothchild, who lives in Efrat and is friends with Ruback’s parents.
Rothchild had been invited to a private meeting to hear Ruback share what had happened on October 7. “The morning of October 7, she heard the sirens going off with all the rocket fire, and when she went into the command center, she saw on the cameras the breach and the hundreds and hundreds of people coming through. There was a terrible sense of dread that they would not survive.”
In fact, Rothchild said, many did not, as more than 40 of Ruback’s friends were killed that day. “She tells their stories of heroism and, at the same time, tells the story of what happened on that day.
“Once you hear her speak, your reaction is, ‘I want this to be heard by more people.’ At the same time, you feel crushed,” he continued. “It’s inspiring to hear the bravery of these young people who were willing to give their lives for Israel and the Jewish people. … This is not a story many people can tell, because many people did not survive.”
He also saw parallels to Ruback’s telling her story and that of her friends with the needs of the women his organization helps. “At Widows of Warriors, we have over 200 married women who have lost their husbands to this war. When I heard Ariella tell the story about someone on base who was married and killed, that’s where we overlapped.
“Ariella wants the memory of her friends to be perpetuated,” said Rothchild. “No one should be forgotten.”
To that end, Ruback—whom Rothchild says was “surrounded by death that day, and it was not at all clear that she would survive”—is speaking in several venues across New York and New Jersey, as well as elsewhere in the coming days.
AABJ&D member Gregory Zuckerman, who chairs the adult education committee, heard about Ruback from people in Israel and realized how important it was that people in the local region hear directly from her. “I have friends and family in Israel who have heard her speak, and from everything they’ve said about this young woman, you don’t come away without being moved, shaken and truly inspired,” he said. “It’s a unique and special opportunity, especially for younger people. She saw both the horrors and the heroism of October 7.”
Given Ruback’s age, her talk will resonate with teens and young adults, and Zuckerman hopes that people in that demographic will come to hear her, as there is “nothing comparable” to the firsthand account from a peer who has experienced October 7 directly.
“These young people have proven to be great heroes, and we have to tell the stories of the ones who can’t tell them anymore,” Rothchild said. “It’s not just about hearing the stories, it’s showing and demonstrating how much you care. Just being present means a lot. I know it helps the widows that we help to know that people are still showing up and are not fatigued.”
Ariella Ruback’s talk on Wednesday, September 11, is open to the public. Registration is required. For details and to register, visit www.aabjd.org.
Faygie Holt is an award-winning journalist, whose articles have been published worldwide and translated into several different languages. She is also the author of two middle-grade book series for Jewish children, “The Achdus Club” and “Layla’s Diaries,” both available from Menucha Publishers. A third series is set to be released later this year. Learn more at Faygieholt.com.
