10 | DECEMBER 8 • 2022 

essay
Feelings and Thoughts 
on a Day of Terror
T

his wasn’t a day we 
ever dreamed of … 
even in our worst 
nightmares. On the morning 
of Nov. 23, our 18-year-old 
daughter Naomi walked to 
her regular 
Jerusalem 
bus stop to 
commute to her 
national service 
job in Beit 
Shemesh. As 
she approached 
the stop, a 
Palestinian 
terrorist detonated a bomb 
packed with nails and other 
shrapnel. One of the pieces 
flew at Naomi, hitting her, 
but not seriously. She felt 
ringing in her ears but wasn’t 
hurt. Naomi texted our 
family WhatsApp group that 
there’d been a bombing and 
she was fine.
There hadn’t been a 
bombing in years. I was sure 
she was mistaken. None of 
the news sites had the story, 
but her next text said she 
was in an ambulance on the 
way to the hospital. My wife, 
Aliza, and I met Naomi at 
the hospital, saw the wound 
wasn’t serious, and waited 
while she was interviewed 
by doctors, Shabak, the 
police, social workers and 
psychologists. After six 
hours, Naomi was released 
and we drove home, thankful 
that Naomi was okay.
One of my teachers, Dr. 
Gil Troy, sent me an email 
suggesting our family go out 
and celebrate immediately. 
We thought that was a great 

idea, and other than one 
daughter who was in transit 
to New York, we all agreed 
to meet in Jerusalem for a 
celebratory dinner. 
At dinner, each member of 
our family spoke about what 
they were grateful for that 
day. Naomi’s words of being 
grateful for a supportive 
family really hit home for 
all of us. The whole family 
quickly realized that just 
being ourselves was a big 
help to Naomi. 
We committed to 
commemorate Erev Rosh 
Chodesh Kislev each year 
together as a day to offer 
thanks to Hashem. Very 
conscious that all too many 

of our friends commemorate 
annual yahrzeits of their terror 
victims, we’re grateful to be 
able to celebrate each year.
Throughout the day, 
I received dozens of 
media requests. I wasn’t 
going to agree to any of 
them, but Aliza thought 
it was important that I 
humanize the attack for 
people. I had seen victim’s 
families provide the nation 
with encouragement at 
frightening times and wanted 
to try to help our country. 
As the day progressed, I 
gave interviews to countless 
media outlets in Israel, and 
as the world woke up, to 
outlets as far away as Brazil 

and Miami. As the day went 
on, my random thoughts 
coalesced, and I recognized 
my feelings. I’d like to share 
them here.
I felt sad because of what 
had happened and angry at 
those who caused it. Most 
of all, I felt terrified. Not the 
terror of what could happen 
in the future, but of what I 
almost lost. Terror sweeps 
over me and overwhelms 
me. I cry and can’t breathe. 
It’s indescribable. I began 
recognizing the situation 
could’ve been much worse. 
A nail flying an inch or 
two higher or lower and 
I’d have been sitting shivah 
instead of offering thanks 

Security personnel at the scene of a terror attack near the entrance to Jerusalem, Nov. 23, 2022. 

PHOTO BY OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90.

PURELY COMMENTARY

continued on page 12

Rabbi Uri 
Pilichowski
JNS.org

