What is the Jewish response to tragedy and how do we move forward in a post-October 7 world?
That was part of the talk given on February 25 by Rabbi Leo Dee of Efrat, who lost three members of his family—his wife, Lucy, and daughters Maia and Rina—in a terror attack last year during Chol Hamoed Pesach. He spoke at the Chai Center for Living Judaism in Millburn, New Jersey.
He spoke of his loss, how he and Lucy were going on a holiday trip with their children and took two cars. Lucy told him not to take a certain route. He didn’t, but in a strange twist, Lucy and the girls ended up on that very road. There, they were ambushed by Palestinian terrorists.
Rabbi Dee, who is originally from London, continues to live in Efrat with his three surviving children: Yehuda, Tali and Keren.
“How do you get from darkness to light? … The trauma the Jewish people went through on October 7 was not so dissimilar to what we went through on April 7,” he said.
“In June of 1967, the Jews were digging thousands of graves and just six days later they were taking back the Kotel. It is the history of the Jewish people—a tragedy is always followed by a redemption,” he told more than 50 people who had gathered to hear him speak.
Since October 7 was a tragedy greater than anything in recent memory, he said, “it must be leading to a greater redemption. God is giving us a lot of hints. God is telling us loud and clear we are living in a new world. It is not the same world as before October 7. When October 8 came, Israel called up reservists and thought maybe 60% would come … 120% came because people who weren’t called up responded and said, ‘Why wasn’t I called?’”
Simchat Torah, the day of the attack, is the day the Torah begins anew, he said, pointing out that one of the first things that happens in Parshat Bereshit is “V’yehi Ohr,” and there was light. “It wasn’t the light of the sun, because the sun wasn’t created yet,” said Rabbi Dee. Rather, “it was the light of truth.”
And that light was shining on October 7 because it shined on what is true and good, and “evil was suddenly visible in a way it hadn’t been before,” he said.
Rabbi Dee pointed to other signs as well. For instance, he recounted the Turkish parliamentarian who stood up and cursed Israel and then died. “That is not normal.”
“Things are happening in a much more revealed way,” he offered. “The world we are in now is the world of geula; it is the world of Moshiach.”
He suggested that people take on something meaningful to do rather than just look at the news and their phones all day, adding that this is something he’s done to cope with his loss. “In the future, you will be able to say, ‘I made a difference’ and it will give you a feeling of positivity.”
Rabbi Dee also talked about antisemitism on college campuses, a lawsuit he filed against CNN and anchor Christiane Amanpour for their coverage of the murder of his family, and updated the audience on how his other children are doing. “Lucy brought people together; she was an amazing community builder,” he said. “She built our kids up to be independent and she made me quite strong as well.”
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 in 2024. Learn more at Faygieholt.com.
