APRIL 18 • 2024 | 61

the late 1970s and now has 
almost 30 direct descendants 
in Israel, told me, “We need to 
reaffirm the Jewish connection, 
both theologically and 
psychologically.
” He thinks the 
judicial reform protests made 
Israel look weak and vulnerable, 
and that unity is a must. His 
wife, Bracha, has come out 
of retirement to work with the Jewish 
Federations of North America to raise and 
distribute aid in Israel. She also makes time 
to cook weekly meals for soldiers. 
One of their children, Ephraim, 34 and 
a married father of three, has spent four 
months on the borders, first Lebanon and 
then Gaza. He barely escaped “friendly 
fire” when a soldier put in the wrong 
coordinates for a rocket launch. Home on 
leave, he found that working on his new 
apartment and avoiding the news helped to 
keep his mind clear. He told me how hard 
it is to come back to “civilian” life and that 

more needs to be done to help soldiers who 
return. 
Early in the war, Ephraim wrote this to 
family and friends, “Here is my request 
to you: Speak up. Wherever you can. 
However you can. Share what happened 
to our people on that vicious day of 10-7-
23. We need the world and its leaders to 
support us in getting the job done. We have 
no other place to go. Please, do what you 
can.
” He signed off with, “lots of love.
” In 
another message he wrote: “No one wants 
to be here, but we can’t be anywhere else 
but here. It is an honor to be part of it.
” 

Since my visit, he was called back for a 
week of training and is now home awaiting 
his next orders.
When I got to Tel Aviv, the first thing I 
did was meet a friend I knew from Young 
Judaea Year Course at Hostage Square, the 
plaza in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of 
Art. Powerful, vulnerable and inspiring 
artwork is everywhere, including a replica 
of a Hamas tunnel and a clock showing 
how long the hostages have been gone. 
Tents are set up for families and friends 
to congregate, all with stark reminders of 
those missing. The emotional load is very 

continued on page 63

The Siman Tov 
family — Tamar, 35, 
“Johnny,” 36, their 
5½-year-old twins 
Anbal and Shahar and 
2-year-old son Omer 
died of smoke inha-
lation in their “safe 
room” on Oct. 7.

The mailboxes at Kibbutz Nir Oz on the Gaza 
border display black tags for those kidnapped 
and red tags for those murdered. 

