Kfar Aza

April 7, 2024, in Jerusalem, Israel.

Over the Jerusalem streets, the sun is shining. The weather is a bit cool.

Six months after the brutal murders of over 1,200 people in Israel by invaders from Gaza on the holiday Shabbat is still hard to comprehend.

However, while remembering that there are still 134 hostages captive in Gaza, we try to move forward. Under the constant shadow of war, with tens of thousands of people from the south and north unable to return home for the Passover holidays, with an uncertain future, struggling to be joyous in some fashion.

The new National Library of Israel (NLI) has become a popular site, especially impressive at night.

Included in the new video presentation for visitors with information is the quote, “If you have gone to the library a dozen times to look at the books, go once to look at the people.” – Martin Buber

I have not gone a dozen times yet, but even before it opened. and each time there is something new to see.

On Thursday night, I caught NLI Rector Shai Nitzan and CEO Oren Weinberg seated near the video having a conversation.

The Batim M’befnim, Open Houses Jerusalem, is an annual event, previously held at the end of October. As Mayor Moshe Lion welcomed guests at the NLI to the opening event, he mentioned the decision to move forward in the spring opening hundreds of locations to the public.

Open Houses Jerusalem used to be called Houses From Within.

I vividly remember one of my first experiences years ago when they opened the gates at Hansen House for the first time and had a tour inside. Oh, how Hansen House has changed!

The Mayor spoke briefly in Hebrew and English, for the benefit of leading Israeli architects and visiting international tourism professionals in the crowd.

The dairy food was presented inside in the lobby before the Mayor arrived,

and the dessert display outside was also photo-worthy and tasted as good as it looked.

An NLI tour was offered to various groups. I was in the white group, which was in English, and included international visitors from India, the US, and Italy.

The modern automated stacks of over 4 million books are impressive even when not in operation.

Across the small viewing room stands this relic, with a warning not to get close, a reminder of the library of days past, for my librarian and researcher friends.

Going out to the Jerusalem streets this week were lovely sights and signs of spring.

But the closed-off street near the Prime Minister’s home is making the headlines.

Closed hours before protesters, at least we could walk by Azza Street.

New large posters were calling for Unity Now.

And the better slogan, #LetThemGoNOW was on display over a major Jerusalem street.

This week I went on a press visit to Shefayim, in the hotel dining room where survivors of Kfar Aza are presently living, a table is set for their kidnapped members.

After months, some of the young families have been moved out of hotel rooms into small buildings made for them to have a little more space, as it will be a long time until they can return to Kfar Aza.

As we walked away from meeting the distraught family members of the kidnapped hostages, the fog was settling in, time for one more photo before heading back to Jerusalem.

n the National Library’s main reading room, the display for the Bibas family children draws attention.

But, after hearing Doron Steinbrecher’s mother’s anguished appeal to international media

and Gali and Ziv Berman’s brother speaking, I decided to share their photos displayed in the library again.

The world concern for Israelis held captive in Gaza must constantly be raised. It’s been 6 months too long.

April it’s spring!

The Jerusalem streets look to nature with music and workshops planned in parks.

Passover the holiday celebrating freedom is in two weeks.

Wondering how many visitors will fill the Jerusalem streets this year?

100 Days

Shabbat Simhat Torah morning when Hamas started a war that they called the Al-Quds Flood.

Thousands of terrorists invaded southern Israel, murdering and rampaging while raining rockets down on us in Jerusalem and throughout much of Israel.

This 100 Days photo essay is a brief review to give you a glimpse into Israel today.

The sun has risen every day since October 7. Those who were awake at 7:10 am today caught sight of a rainbow stretched over the Jerusalem streets.

The Israeli flags and banners “united we will win,” large and small, abound on the Jerusalem streets.

The graves of fallen soldiers in the Har Herzl Military Cemetery, near the new memorial hall, used to be all the same, row after row of identical graves.

But not now. On one of the too many new gravesites of the hundreds of fallen soldiers since October 7, there is a birthday balloon, Yehonatan died on November 10, 2023, days before his 22nd birthday. Photos, candles, flags, and other momentoes also cover many of the new graves.

Workers are clearing new areas for more graves.

At the same time, we were at Har Herzl, there was a 30-day memorial service for one soldier and a funeral for another, which drew a large crowd. As with most people in Israel, we knew friends and families at both of the sad events.

On one positive note, two women were giving out bottles of water to support the mourners as they left.

One way of supporting the families from the south who survived October 7 and cannot go home is through therapy performances for their children. This one was at the Ramada Hotel where hundreds of evacuees have been staying.

A few days, a few weeks, but months in a hotel unable to go home?

Will those murdered on October 7 be forgotten? Jacqui Vital, mother of Adi Vital Kaploun hy”d, is one of many parents who are speaking to solidarity groups to share and keep their memories alive.

So after almost 100 days, it was time to leave the Jerusalem streets, and head south to see, along with so many other groups to witness the destruction denied by so many outside of Israel.

The entrance to Kfar Aza is testimony to what was a beautiful agricultural kibbutz.

Until Hamas terrorists broke through the fences on the morning of October 7.

Murdering, burning, and destroying not only buildings but hundreds, thousands, of lives.

Especially hard hit were the young members of the community, only in their 20s, who were tortured and murdered in their homes.

If you look through the trees, you can see Gaza, only a short distance away.

Yes, it is hard to imagine the destruction by Hamas that morning.

No matter what the UN or IJC say, this was a genocidal attack.

Today we have not only Holocaust deniers, but October 7 deniers.

The next stop was the site of the Re’im Nova Festival where a “Bring Them Home Now” display was at the entrance. Notice that all the signs are in English to try and wake up world’s attention to the very real humanitarian crisis and war crimes.

Pictures have been posted of those murdered on the morning of October 7 at the music festival.

With special attention to those people still missing and held as hostages in Gaza.

Their fate is unknown, as they are held in the deepest terror tunnels as human shields for Hamas leaders.

We also visited Sderot where a new mural has risen over the site of the destroyed police station. I had visited several times on previous media trips south, but that is another story.

Members of our group helped the owner of this sukkah take it down, 96 days after the holiday.

Sderot is a beautiful city with a population of 30,000 people.

It has grown over the years, even under rocket fire from Gaza less than a mile away.

The Sderot Yeshiva roof was reinforced to make the entire study hall a sheltered safe room, so the young men not on active army service came back recently to study, plus former students have come back to support their Yeshiva. But first, they began by finishing up their interrupted Simhat Torah dancing.