By Elsbeth Lewis, HDNA Kvutzat 73

My name is Elsbeth Lewis, I’m from Camp Miriam on Gabriola Island BC. I have been a part of the movement since my first year at camp in 2013. I’m on Workshop 73 with my kvutza, currently located on Kibbutz Ein Hashofet.

I woke up around 12 pm on October 7th and walked outside my room to my friends discussing the attack from Hamas. We were all shocked and scared for what the future of our program would look like, we still are. 

As days went by, programming continued but with all of the stories on the news and social media of the horrible events taking place, I found it extremely difficult to concentrate. We cleaned out the bomb shelters as a part of our avoda. We also got the chance to volunteer by running some activities for kids on the kibbutz including rikkud, sports, and arts and crafts. It felt rewarding to bring smiles and fun distractions to the kids, not only they needed it, but we also needed it. A few days after the war started. 

My parents were extremely concerned about it. They decided that they wanted me to leave. I was booked on an evacuation flight to Cyprus, but decided not to take it as I was still unsure. Later that day, my friend and I were told that our parents had booked us on a flight to Madrid and then London. We found out two hours before we were supposed to leave and almost didn’t make it onto the plane. I stayed in London for a week and then decided that I wanted to be back in Israel to continue my education and contribute to Israeli society during the midst of this war. I felt a strong need to help with my kvutza and was eager to get back. 

After discussing all that was necessary with my parents, I was able to get back to Israel just in time to join the kvutza’s drive to Kibbutz Ravid. Volunteering on Kibbutz Ravid has truly been such an amazing experience so far. To me it’s specifically really important now because I think about the amount of people who have been called into the reserves and how that affects the daily jobs that these people have, that need to be done. We’re able to help the society flourish by providing agricultural labour and support to the kibbutz. 

I feel like my Workshop kvutza has responsibility to help in whatever way we are able to, whether that is labour, volunteering with kids, education, etc. It all makes a difference and I’m so happy to be able to help.

By Lonny Moses, HDNA Boger, Community Organizer in Petach Tikvah

The first five days…

Saturday

I'm drinking coffee at my friends' house who have a nicer shelter than mine.

Edit: I wanted to assure my friends in the USA who haven't yet woken up that I'm ok. But actually as news is coming in about the scale of the invasion by Hamas, I am definitely not ok. I am safe physically, but my country and my people are undergoing a significant trauma right now. In the meantime all I can do is sit at home, read the news and try to comfort and be comforted.

By Toviah Botwinnick, HDNA Boger, Rakaz of HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed at Ramat David Vocational School

During the beginning of the war, there was a sense of panic and urgency, and a kind of disbelief both at what's happening and the speed at which things were developing, both in the atrocities in the south, and the mobilization of the miluim (reserve duty). I felt a little disconnected, as I usually do when conflicts heat up, because it usually doesn't affect me directly. Once my bat garin (kvutsa member) got called up to the northern border, I knew that things were getting serious. 

By James Grant-Rosenhead, HDUK Boger and member of Kibbutz Mishol

The 2 supermarkets I went to here in the last few days were jam packed. Russian speakers, Palestinian Muslims, Palestinian Christians, Ultra-Orthodox Jews - we have them all in our neighbourhood, and they are all stocking up, big time. It is tense and intense - like everyone is both simultaneously horrified and terrified by what has happened but also everyone is fearful about the possibility of the war to come in the North, with Hezbollah…

By Bryce Kenny, HDOZ Boger, madrich at Eshbal Youth Village

I’ve been trying to keep as busy as I can. Any time I don’t do something active I get sucked into social media and hard feelings. Here are some things I’ve been doing in Carmiel:

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