* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
“Why isn’t this the top news story?” Meirav Berger asked me on Shabbat morning. Meirav is the mother of soldier and hostage, Agam Berger. We were attending a special Shabbat program on behalf of the hostages and watching survivors of the Nova festival dancing, with tears in their eyes, around a Sefer Torah.
“I will definitely write about it,” I told her, “and I’m sure it’s today’s headline in heaven!
Words are inadequate to describe this powerful experience, as more than 100 survivors of the Nova festival came to spend a Shabbat in Jerusalem. After getting to meet them over Shabbat, we said that they deserve to be referred to not just as survivors but as the Heroes of Nova; since that horrific day ten months ago, they feel they are on a mission. In their own words:
Yonatan: “I came face to face with absolute evil, but I also saw God there.”
Dana: “They wanted to kill me — not because I’m Dana or because I love dogs, but only because I am a Jew.”
Nadav: “Everyone can see the wound on my body— but the injury to my soul is much deeper. Still, I wake up every morning, determined to keep going.”
The Shabbat event was the brainchild of Tzili Schneider, founder of the Kesher Yehudi (Jewish Connection) organization. She also invited two hostage families to participate in this event, which is how I had the opportunity to speak with Meirav Berger and Sigi Cohen, mother of Eliya Cohen, who was kidnapped at the festival.
One of the highlights was when two of the Nova survivors requested to recite “HaGomel” (the blessing said after being rescued from danger). They hadn’t wanted to say it in the past, but finally it felt right. First Guy recited the blessing followed by Sivan. Everyone answered a resounding “Amen,” after which they broke into a dance around the Sefer Torah.
Two survivors approached Tzili after Shabbat to thank her. They shared that since the trauma of October 7, they have been receiving different kinds of therapies and treatments, with varying levels of effectiveness. They will continue to receive professional help of course, but as many said, “Keeping a Shabbat like this in Jerusalem has been the most empowering and soothing experience of all.”
Pictured below: dancing during Havdala
Check out this week’s podcast episode in English here: https://www.tabletmag.com/podcasts/sivan-says/sivan-says-matot-masei
