18 | APRIL 4 • 2024 

now a massive operation 
which has brought in and 
distributed $75 million worth 
of clothing and materials. We 
helped sort through shoes, 
sweaters and coats.
That evening, we visited 
the Kotel. Somehow, our 
holiest site, which usually 
provides such comfort, 
inspiration and joy, simply 
brought out a more painful, 
heartfelt prayer for salvation. 
The words we said together 
as a group, “I raise my eyes 
to the skies … My help will 
come from Hashem, maker 
of heaven and earth,” were 
said with deep intensity and 
sincerity.

DAY 2 REFLECTIONS 
Our first stop was Sderot, a 
town that’s been suffering 
from missile attacks for the 
past 20+ years, with some 
22,000 rockets directed at 
them from Hamas-run Gaza. 
People there have 12 seconds 
to get to a safe zone once the 

siren is heard.
Rabbi Pizem, Chabad of 
Sderot, shared the terrible 
events he experienced on 
Oct. 7, with numerous near-
death experiences. At one 
point, he sent his family to 
the shelter room upstairs, 
while he stayed downstairs so 
that if the terrorists entered 
his home, they’d take his life 
assuming he was the only 
one there. 
We visited the (now 
cleared) site of the Sderot 
police station where a terrible 
battle took place, claiming 
the lives of 13 police officers. 
There is a brand-new mural 
overlooking the site that 
highlights the attack. There 
are bullet holes throughout 
the mural.
Next, we visited the Nova 
Music Festival site with Rami 
Davidian. Can you imagine 
saving hundreds of lives on 
the span of one day? Rami 
Davidian’s story is possibly 
the most amazing I’ve heard 

ABOVE: The group provided a festive bar mitzvah to a young man 
named Netanel, from the displaced northern border city of Shlomi. 
Cards and gifts were brought from students at Hillel Day School 
and Farber Day School. TOP: Rabbi Shneur Silberberg with farmer 
Eyal in Kadima, Israel. The farm has lost over 80% of its workforce 
(Palestinian and Thai) since Oct. 7.

OUR COMMUNITY

continued from page 17

