Thursday, July 11th was the 2nd day of the Chabad on Campus Kinus conference for Shluchim 5784/2024,

Let’s just start with the Israeli Breakfast, a sumptuous feast, at least in this hotel, with quite a number of different serving stations, each with a plethora of options in similar food families, loads of toppings and variety, both hot and cold. I settled for Shakshuka eggs in sauce balanced by cool soft cheese, and some salad stuffs. And some croissants for dessert. Had to rush for bus so couldn’t get a coffee, but given the heat of the day probably a wise choice.

SDEROT

Then we were off to Sderot, a city that has become notorious for rocket attacks from Gaza for years now, and especially affected during the Oct 7th attacks. We didn’t take the highway as much, instead took a scenic route through beautiful hilly Israeli farmland. We saw dairies, all types of fields and orchards, grapevines all covered in netting. And the raw rugged biblical beauty of Israeli mountainsides.

There were 3 stops in Sderot. First we stopped at the Police Station, or the dusty field where it once stood. There were “bushes” of twisted protruding rebar at various spots, now adorned with metallic anemone red Kalanit flowers, flags and signs. Our group gathered at the base of a tremendously tall Menorah, firmly built into the ground at the corner of the site, with a placard tying the messages of the Menorah and its songs and blessings to the tragedy and herosim. The huge murals surrounding the site are especially meaningful, took pictures with the Sderot lions mural and the one with the Torah scroll’s letters flying upwards out of the scroll (based on a Talmud story of martydom).

In the shadow of that giant Menorah, we had a resident of Sderot, who rushed out to engage the terrorists in the street of the police station, share his Oct 7th story. Where he was, where he went, what he did, what he thought at first and how things developed. Some stories that were already known to some of the crowd, they got to meet the hero of that story (including hearing the cry of a backseat daughter from a black car in which both front seat driver and passenger were already killed). The events of that fateful date on that street, until the terrorists holed themselves up in the police station, which had to be later destroyed by the IDF, terrorists inside. It was really hot and brightly sunny at the Sderot police station site, and they served us water and ices. It felt funny to sip sweet ices on a sad site but it did help us keep refreshed and hydrated.

From there we drove to the Sderot Lookout, where you can see Gaza. It’s up on an overlooking hill, and the border fence is within view. A resident of Gaza, whose wife was raised in Gush Katif, greeted us at the Overlook, and told us his October 7th story, and about his family and community. The overlook has an ominous feel, he points out the areas where the Hamas terrorists broke through the border fence, and how their plans for Sedrot City were different than for the smaller Kibbutzim which they devastated. While up on that hill, with northern Gaza in view, we heard at least two very loud booms, and maybe saw a distant plume of smoke in the haze.

Sderot is a city that in about 20 years received over 22,000 rockets, literally terrorizing the city. Somehow the city finds ways to be resilient. One thing we noticed was how nicely the town was cared for, it very much did not have a bombed-out scarred neglected feel. There was lots of beautiful and well-tended landscaping, colorful parks, and new high-rise buildings going up on one side of town. They say the national bird of Israel is the crane, thanks to all the high-rise construction! It is surely a sign of commitement and resilience.

Our last stop in Sderot was the Chabad House where we enjoyed a delicous lunch and davened Mincha. We heard from Rabbi Pizem of the Chabad there, also how he found out about the attacks, what he thought at first, how they realized. Pizem saw a terrorist truck pass him! And how they immersed themseles to help the community because even as many evacuated, several thousands remained.

Then we heard from a local Sephardic Rabbi, Rabbi Hertzel Schaubi, who was born in Sderot, served and serves in its municipal government and also has a synagogue on the same street or just off the street of the now famous police station. It’s about a kilometer from his home, and despite the sirens and such, he decided to got to the synagogue on that fateful Simchat Torah morning, Long story, but he was shot at it. The bullet went in through his back, out the front of his shirt, and while it miraculously missed the heart, and vital organs, it caused tremendous pain and he was bleeding and found his way into the synagogue. But no one could help him. They called for ambulance but there was no response, same for police, no one expected such a total shotdown and overwhelming of systems…

Now a quick detour. As Rabbi he had a congregant who was abrasive and argumentative and he had a had time with him, It was getting stressful. But one day he decided that be as it may he’s going to treat him with love regardless! And somehow that changed the situation, and they became very close friends.

There the Rabbi was saying Psalms, willing himself to stay alive, bleeding, when this congregant walked into the synagogue, somehow oblivious to the terror! He found out ambulances were not an option, and help was not available, so he asked the Rabbi if his car was parked at the synagogue. It was – and he got the keys, got the rabbi to the car, and drove him to safety and medical help, despite the terror raging in the city…

Outside the Chabad House in Sderot many took a photo in front of a unique Menorah built out of busted up rockets sent by Hamas, tranforming deep darkness into a source of positive light. Inscribed on the Menorah are two Hebrew phrases: “Am Yisrael Chai!” and underneat that: “Al Torah Avdi Yaakov!” (fear not my servant Jacob, of which there are various Saturday Night melodies to those words and chorus).

There’s a recurring theme in hearing Israelis share these stories, including the security guard on the bus. They share a similar format: Where they were when it happened, what they thought at first, and what they did next. It’s almost like a Megillah of sorts, a national narrative, obviously different for each person, but also a shared story.

THE NOVA SITE

We pulled out of Sderot, back onto roads leading further south, driving alongside Gaza. Here we saw signs for Kibbutzim we have sadly come to know through their tragedies: Kfar Aza, Be’eiri, Sa’ad and others. We also saw field and groves and so much agriculture.

The bus pulled off at a “Reim Rest Area” a park and woods where the Nova music festival took place. There are so many memorials, signs, photos, messages of love and loss and tribute. There are printed signs and hnadwritten messages, all personal, full of feeling, much emotion everywhere. New trees have been planted. There was a tent off to a side where a scribe is writing a new Torah scroll in their memory. There are all types of people visiting.

Chabad on Campus had a stage truck setup with a microphone. Rabbi Zalman Teichtel of Kansas set the mood and tone, shared words of the Rebbe on Jewish self-sacrifice and those who died only for being Jewish. He shared the Talmud and Rebbe’s words about the two men of Lud who made a tremendous sacrifice. He shared the Baal Shem Tov’s “Nafsham Bahem Tisataf” teaching that when a Jew feels a void or need, and yearns for physical pleasure or satisfaction, it speaks of a deeper, hidden soul hunger and soul thirst that life underneath it. He spoke of the lofty level of those who gave their lives with actual Mesiras Nefesh and left us with a challenge to see our fellow Jews on campus with a soulful lens, and how to implement and inspire mental, emotional and spiritual forms of self-sacrifice in ourselves and in our students.

Rabbi Teichtel introduced Oren Laufer, whose father-in-law Rami, as an ordinary citizen hearing the call of the house made many runs to rescue people away from the festival, under fire, in face of tremendous danger.

Rami called his son-in-law to do the same, as people desparately shared their locations, Oren drove to pick them up and bring them to safety, and then went back in to do the same for another group. There were handfuls of people here, dozens waiting at other spots. He went back and forth all day, ignoring the personal danger, and simply saving lives. Around 4pm he got word of 2 injured men near a car at a specific spot. He got there, to find two girls already dead and 2 wounded boys grasping onto life. He wasn’t an ambulance driver, he wasn’t a professional, but he got them into the vehicle (not clear of all the details) and rushed to get them help.

One of the men, the driver of the car leaving the Nova Festival whom Hamas shot at, was wounded, but alive. The two girls in his car were on the side with more bullets and didn’t survive. Roi hid in the grass with his wounds from early mornign to 4pm and only survived because Oren came to get him.

And Roi also came up on the stage and shared his story, One thing that was quite remarkable! Both these men did not appear to be especially religious/observant. Yet, as if it was the most natural and obvious thing in the world, they both referred to G-d as their protector, they spoke with tremendous faith and religious devotion. Maybe this is an Israeli thing, can’t see American Jews speaking in the same way, but it is a most beautiful expression of soul!

Another lesson: So many of the heroes were ordinary citizens. Yes, many served in the army before, but their response and reflex wasn’t professional, it was personal. So many rushed into harm’s way, so many went above and beyond, and many were not even trained for that! We don’t always have to be experts or professional, or rabbis or whatever to make a huge difference in our communities and in the lives of others.

They gave each Shliach a card with a hostage and a Psalm. It so happens that I (Mendel) was given Omer Neutra’s card! It felt so close! Our students, especially those from Plainview or USY go back with him and his family, and his name and concern for his wellbeing has been on UAlbany student lips all year, so it was especially meaningful to “randomly” be assigned his card!

And then there was dancing. We will dance again is a Nova survivor wish and mantra, and as Rabbi Teichtel mentioned it is a Chassidic custom to sing in such circumstances, to help their soul finish their unfinished song, We sang a moving Ani-Maamin, and then other songs, both slow and lively, until Oren and Roi were lifted up on shoulders and dancing among a dancing crowd.

Then, back to the buses again! Some delay, because the people at Nova wanted to put on Tefillin! There is a thirst and eagerness. The soul is showing…

ISHAY RIBO IN LESHEM 

From Nova site near Gaza, we traveled to a tremendously scenic spot between mountains in the Shomron, northwest of Jerusalem, the road there was quite something. In an ampitheater beween Leshem, Peduel and Alei-Zahav, we had a special program with the Israeli Army Unit called Shurah (which prepares soldier – and terror victim civilian – bodies for burial). This unit does not face the physical dangers many other IDF units face, but October 7th and the months that follow have been a heavy emotional and psychological burden on this unit. There were some speeches and such, but the main excitement was a Ishay Ribo live intimate concert with Chabad on Campus and the IDF Shurah Unit, with Ishay Ribo dancing and singing a lot of it from inside the dancing crowd. And the setting, amidst those mountains!

The soldiers were a mix of ages, many were middle-aged, some there with their children. One soldier looked to be inhis 50’s or 60’s, with a flowing grayish white beard. Turns out he is from Kfar Chabad. Another officer gave a shout out to his 11-year-old daughter for her birthday, one year from Bat-Mitzvah, she was in one of the homes on the mountaintop overlooking the valley where the concert event was, and we all sang Yom Huledet Sameach to her. Everyone is called up in Israel, everyone is on alert, everyone takes part. No one is unaffected.

The dancing with them, Shluchim and IFD intertwined, lively, warmly, spirited and connected – uplifting and memorable. The feelings of Am Yisrael Chai, and we’re all one interconnected family… and Ishay Ribo’s energy and warmth, reverberating into the mountains. Quite something!

Then the drive back to the hotel in Jerusalem where we had some guests and visitors join.. alumni and freinds. More about that when I get back to this post.