* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
It’s already Tuesday. Nevertheless the conversation I had with Meirav Berger on Shabbat is still reverberating in my mind. Meirav is the mother of hostage Agam Berger who was kidnapped from a Gaza border army base where she served. I was present at a Shabbat event organized by Kesher Yehudi (Jewish Connection) for hostage families and survivors of the Nova attack. This is what Meirav told me:
“After the 7th of October I cut myself off completely from the world and became dysfunctional.
People asked me if there was anyone who could help and I answered: Rabbi Aharon Levi. I had listened to his Torah talks. He came to visit and sat on our balcony where I sat holding a large picture of Agam. He looked at the picture, looked at me, and then looked at the picture again. He asked what I thought was most difficult for Agam right now. Without hesitation I answered: “Worrying about me.” And then he said: “So don’t give her reason to worry.”
This single sentence changed me. I was no longer frozen. Agam was certainly worried about me, but why should I give her a reason to worry? And so I began to overcome the shock, to function again, and to ask the nation of Israel to be strengthened for her sake.
After that it was Ilay, Agam’s younger brother’s, Bar Mitzva. I was connected to Rabbi Mendy from the Chabad of our city Holon. We came to plan the Bar Mitzva with the Rabbi on a Thursday which is the day they do a ton of Chessed before Shabbat and they were packaging food for the needy.
Suddenly we found ourselves packaging packages and distributing them with all the volunteers.
This was another moment that took me out of despair. Giving to others really helped and gave me strength to face the world.”
I believe these stories can help many at the present time. Thank you, Meirav. And may we all hear good news.
