8 | MARCH 7 • 2024 
J
N

PURELY COMMENTARY

essay
The Crazy, Delusional, Surreal State 
of Being Israelis in the Aftermath of Oct. 7
T

here is no exact 
equivalent word in 
English to describe 
the Hebrew word hazui. A 
combination of 
crazy, surreal 
and delusional 
is the closest 
to convey 
the feeling of 
its meaning. 
This word was 
used in almost 
every conversation I have 
had with family, friends and 
other people I met in Israel 
recently. It also describes 
the disbelief and utter post-
traumatic feelings that most 
Israelis have experienced 
since Oct. 7. 
On that morning, we 
all woke up to one of the 
most horrific and brutal 
historical attacks on the 
Jewish state and Jews 
all over the world. Since 
that event, the worldwide 
Jewish community has 
been suffering increased 
antisemitism. 
As someone born in Israel 
and a son of Holocaust 
survivors, I felt violated yet 
again. I needed to go there to 
be with my family and fellow 
Israelis to do something to 
help in the national effort to 
recover. 
I spent close to four weeks 
in this amazing, wounded 
country. The experiences I 
had left me with a greater 
sense of awe as well as 
concern for my homeland. I 
don’t want anyone to believe 
I fully support the actions of 

the Israeli government pre- 
and post-Oct. 7; however, 
there is no doubt in my mind 
that the mere existence of 
Israel is vital not only for 
Israelis but also for Jews 
worldwide.
I started my volunteer 
work at a depot that 
gathered donated clothing, 
food, furniture and other 
household items earmarked 
for the displaced families 
from the Gaza and Lebanon 
borders. Though the place 
was packed with items, 
few came to take any. The 

evacuees and victims are still 
in a state of limbo. Wanting 
to give them what they need 
requires more than the stuff 
at that center. 
I then began helping 
prepare warm meals for 
Israeli soldiers in both the 
northern and southern 
fronts. I was working in a 
kitchen at Jack’s Inn (in Kefar 
Nechamia) doing whatever 
was needed. I did everything 
from cutting vegetables 
and chicken into pieces 
to seasoning and stuffing 
potatoes with meat patties to 

just cleaning up and washing 
dishes. This kitchen ships its 
prepared food to the soldiers 
as well as sends a food truck 
on a biweekly basis to the 
border to make soups and 
pizzas for soldiers at their 
bases. My most significant 
experience was to join one 
such excursion close to the 
Lebanese border. 
For me, it was coming 
full circle because we 
served artillery troops using 
modern versions of the 
same cannons I used in my 
military service at the very 
same front. I felt like I was 
serving a younger version of 
myself. 
While serving the hot 
pizzas, we had to put on ear 
plugs because the troops 
were returning fire toward 
Hezbollah targets that 
had just sent rockets into 
the nearby town of Kiryat 
Shmona. The soldiers were 
very appreciative of the 
delicious pizzas. After the 
long day and our vehicle 
getting stuck in the mud, 
I returned to my brother’s 
house at 3:30 a.m. exhausted 
but extremely elated 
for participating in this 
important act of kindness 
and service to our brave 
soldiers. 
I also participated in a 
meeting at Kibbutz Ruchama 
near Gaza where hostage 
families, friends and their 
supporters gathered to plant 
136 carob trees in honor of 
the remaining hostages. The 
stress of the families felt like 

Avishay 
Hayut

Avishay Hayut making 
pizzas for IDF soldiers.

