Only a few minutes ago I returned from the heart-wrenching presentation made by two very brave ladies who are living through their own personal trauma. Both Even Shmuel and Shira Cohen spoke passionately and eloquently at the Teaneck Jewish Center about their life-altering experiences as survivors of the Nova Music Festival in Israel on Oct 7. Their lives have been changed forever.

How they have the ability to recreate the scene of this tragedy is amazing. With great passion and distress they told the story of how reluctantly Shira agreed to attend the festival after having lost her brother just a month before in a motor vehicle accident, and how her friends thought it would be good to get her out of her down-in-the dumps mood and come to what is known to be a full-of-life, uplifting musical experience. As Shira said, “I don’t like that music, I don’t like these grand festivals, but somehow there I was.”

And so it was throughout the night of the festival as everyone partied, many imbibed, and everyone was in the best of moods. Both of these women had not told their parents where they were going because both sets of parents are haredi; the two left their homes after making kiddush and eating meals with their families. In one case her parents thought she had gone to bed.

Apparently one of the highlights of this festival is to watch the sun rise early in the morning, and exactly when they all awaited the beauty of the moment they began to hear what they thought were fireworks. Suddenly it was acknowledged that there were rockets converging on the southern area of Israel and then through cell phone calls, etc., they began to realize the mess that they were in. Their closest friends’ bodies were identified shortly after the IDF was able to start searching through the area, and after much trauma and stress the two women were able to reach Haifa and eventually home. This is a very brief synopsis of their terrifying story.

Feelings of guilt for abandoning their friends (which they did not do); surviving as opposed to so many; and seeing bodies and blood-soaked people; and thinking that they did not want to die will obviously haunt them for the rest of their lives. As a tribute to their friends who were massacred they decided that perhaps their mission should be to tell the story of what happened and to establish a fund for other families and victims, to help them deal with the grief and in many cases the huge psychological trauma which they are suffering on a daily basis.

My intent originally was to wind up with this space more on the recent Jewish Link Mission to Israel, which those of us who were fortunate enough to participate in will never forget. I wanted to discuss the bravery and tenacity of Stuie and Anita Tucker, who opened their home to our group in the new Netzer Chazani. Most of you probably know the name Anita Tucker because she has been the spokesperson for all of Gush Katif. When the Sharon government decided that Israel should return the beautiful area known as Gush Katif to the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, the residents who had spent years and years creating a jewel in the middle of a sandy beach area obviously were up in arms and fought loudly (not with their hands) throughout Israel and in the Jewish world to stop this aberration from occurring.

Anita Tucker became the name synonymous with Netzer Chazani and the Kush Gatif area. Its residents were displaced, with the Israeli Army literally coming into their homes in 2005 and forced them to leave what had become a paradise, in one of the most unjustified steps that the Israeli government had ever undertaken. Anita once again spoke loudly and clearly about the trauma of that experience.

My Mordechai and I—and all of my children who spent a year in Israel—had the benefit of our friendship with the Tuckers and visited them frequently for Shabbat. My kids loved to go there. Now temporarily displaced (according to Anita) the Tuckers and others have recreated a community which is called Netzer Chazani close to Yad Binyamin and they are once again planting and growing. Anyone is welcome to join them in picking cherry tomatoes from their vines.

As I have said many times, my goal in creating this Jewish Link mission was for us to show the Israelis that we love them and are thinking of them constantly. Each time I expressed that to any Israeli, from storekeeper to a person on the street, I would receive a hug and in many cases wet tears.

Perhaps it is best exemplified by David Bessaleli, a participant of our group from Stamford, who wrote on the Israel Support Chat in Stamford, “One of the many places that our Jewish Link Mission group visited 10 days ago was the Lone Soldier Center in Yerushalayim. One of the soldiers that spoke to us on behalf of their group told us ‘What we need from you all, more than the money, the clothing, the food, is just your hugs, just for us to feel that we are not alone in this, that our brethren all over the world care about us.’ That’s why all of the needed items that make their tough times more tolerable are so appreciated.”

As I am a big hugger and softy; I so agree, and saw it so often. I am going to share as much as I can about the businesses in Israel that are eager and anxious to have our support.

One idea created by a hug and a few tears took place as I washed my hands in the Aroma cafe after handling tuna sandwiches which our group was making for chayalim. I met a young Israeli woman who asked me why I came to Israel at this time. I looked her straight in the face and said, “Because I love you and I care.” She began to cry, hugged me and we began to speak. She has a taxi service throughout Israel. If you need a driver, call her number and she will provide you with a safe drive to wherever you are going. As I have seen many postings asking about getting safe drivers in Israel at this time, this is a perfect opportunity to help families in need and not have to worry. Through our group we used her services to take three people to the airport, and I used her service to get to Netanya for my final Shabbat in Israel. (I will post her information separately.)

As well, anyone looking for different, meaningful, personalized (or not0 art combining wood and the creativity of the artist Mandy Broder, please check out her website and tell her that we have sent you to her. She also does workshops for families who visit, where the family does a project or projects together. Our group was entranced by her creativity; now, unfortunately, one of her most popular pieces is that of the prayer for chayalim with a green army jacket fabric attached. (You have to see it to appreciate it.) Check on her site.

There are always people going back and forth to Israel, and I will work diligently on finding someone to bring back purchases to avoid the cost of shipping. As I said, I will be making suggestions each week.

Israel needs us now! Please do not let them down and if you visit, explain why you are there. Not to see the destruction but to show support, caring and love.

Am Yisroel Chai!

All contributions to support this cause will be directly donated to the “Association Begins to Live Again.” The association, identified by the ID number 580782530, is dedicated to helping those affected by the Nova party incident and similar traumatic experiences, providing them with the necessary resources and support to embark on a path of healing and personal growth.

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/the-giving-back-fund-inc/nova-community/shira-cohen-0.

Israel Info

For Rides Anywhere in Israel—
To and From the Airport

Call Esty Zilberman: 972 53 425 6031

She can be reached by SMS, WhatsApp or phone.

To see beautiful artwork by Mandy Broder go to www.mandybroder.com;

Email [email protected]. For family workshop information:  www.theworkshop.co.il or [email protected]

Nina Glick can be reached at [email protected].