Katie recounts her experiences on the FZY Israel trip for year 13s, and the impactful stories and experiences of Israel post October 7th.
Since October 7th, in the UK, our worlds stopped. For many, we felt an instant emotion of helplessness and distance from our brothers and sisters in Israel. However, as the events have unfolded this past 15 months, the unity that has emerged from within the Jewish community internationally, is one of a kind. Hearing horrific testimonies firsthand, amplified our connection to the land, people and existence of the State of Israel.
It was significant for us to visit Israel during this time of turmoil, so we could put our own effort into the collective recovery of our country. From having discussions with our security guards, who all had their own deeply harrowing versions of October 7th, staying in a hostel with Givati and Golani reserves in training, having a talk from soldier and FZY member Sam Sank and farming at Hashomer Hachadash, with newly enrolled paratrooper soldiers, our existing respect for the IDF grew, alongside many of our desires to join the force next year. Each of these stories differed, and presented a unique experience, but the one similarity between them was the unimaginable pain; with each story, our motivation to make as big a difference as possible during the Kedma trip grew. It was these conversations that were the most impactful, giving us the firsthand perspective and new insights into the conflict. Education surrounding the geopolitical situation was also important for us to try and understand to the best of our abilities, equipping us with the information we need to participate in thoughtful and accurate debates here in the UK.
The most impactful day was the one we spent in the Gaza Envelope. Walking around the sight of the Nova Festival and seeing with our own eyes the land we have only witnessed in heinous footage, we felt the presence of all those we have lost, their bravery and their stories. Since then, we have shared many victims’ light and legacies in order to honour their memories and on the rest of the trip, in every volunteering job we completed, these heroes motivated us; we also prayed for the return of the hostages, especially after a touching talk in Hostage Square.
It was not just people at the festival, and those who were brutally taken from their families whose livelihoods were destroyed by Hamas, but also regular citizens. We had the privilege to spend Shabbat with Israelis I and 2 other participants had met on our Diller Seminar in Cordoba last summer. They are from Matte Asher on the Northern border, so following October 7th, and escalations, many of them were forcibly at the hands of terrorists, displaced from their homes, halfway across the country in order to prioritise their safety. Whilst many of us were students living out a conventional life during this ongoing period, they were experiencing the incomprehensible, either away from their homes or within a warzone, directly next to the missiles incoming from Lebanon. Whilst many of us were sleeping, they were awake all night in shelters. Whilst many of us were working, they were receiving never ending red alerts and unimaginable news about people they knew. We were all the same age, living in the same timeline, however our ordeals and daily lives were immensely different.
When we were at the ‘wall of cars’, witnessing the emotional leftovers of the catastrophe, I came to a realisation. A friend had called me over to the side because he noticed amongst a wall of stickers of fallen soldiers, one in memory of my cousin, Dvir Barazani. He was a special forces paratrooper who fought fiercely with his friends in Gaza and to rescue the residents of Kibbutz Beeri. Unexpectedly seeing his face, in an area miles away from where he conventionally lived his life, displayed the true dedication of the people of Israel to tribute their hope and survival to the fallen. It is this hope that was beautiful, meaningful and evident in every person we had the privilege to talk to. The most memorable and powerful people whom touched us included those running Karati Bechol Lev, the Shuva Brothers base for soldiers and Meir Panic soup kitchen. The love and unity that shared within all their walls, immediately radiated to all of us, even when we were washing up or cleaning floors; these inspiring leaders made every job purposeful, spreading anticipation for peace, selflessness and union. Giving back is the least all of us can do in our mission to lift Israel up.
We visited Israel during Chanukah, a festival surrounded by the ideology of spreading light, encouraging us to pack and distribute sweet packages to injured soldiers in Tel Hashomer. Even though there is so much more we could have, and would have done with more time, a visit to Israel had never been this touching and personal, and to me the country had never felt more welcoming and like a second home.
By Katie B