* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
Exactly one year ago, at the Kfar Maccabiah Hotel, I met a group of people from Sderot. At the time, tens of thousands of people had been evacuated from their homes. Those were the early days after Simchat Torah and people were still reeling from shock and disbelief. A kindergarten had been set up in the hotel as well as a school, and thousands of volunteers from across Israel had come with treats for the children and to help out as much as they could.
In the midst of all the chaos, I interviewed a resident of Sderot who told me: “I’m looking forward to hearing “Lech Lecha.’” It was the parasha of the week and he was hoping to gain strength from Avraham Avinu (Avraham our father) and Sarah Imeinu (Sarah our mother). The story of their lives is one of the foundational stories of the Torah: how they established a new nation, endured trials and tribulations, taught values to humanity, and were the first to walk the length and breadth of this land, a precious inheritance they have passed down to us.
This man has been back home for many months now. He and his wife have gone back to work, his children are back in school, and Sderot is quiet. The city has become a leading real estate hub; soon prices will rise due to the high demand. The residents of Sderot have been spoiling our soldiers who have dealt a significant blow to Hamas. Sinwar is dead, and the security situation has begun to change. This man has also returned to his synagogue in Sderot.
He sent the following message to me this week: “Once again it is Parashat Lech Lecha. Our journey continues. The price we are paying in this war is a heavy one, we are still facing difficult days, and we have yet to reach our destination. But look how far we’ve come.”
Shabbat Shalom.
