讛谞谞讬 – Solidarity Mission Reflections
By Sharon (Morah Sarah) Richter
On the first day of our mission, our final stop was to the Hershkovitz family in G鈥檝aot. My heart was pulling me there from the moment I heard the devastating news of Yossi鈥檚 z”l death. G鈥檝aot is a small yishuv in the Gush that integrates people with disabilities into a typical community. It makes perfect sense that that is where the Hershkovitz鈥檚 chose to live when they returned from 天美传媒视频 to their home in Israel seven years ago.
As we got off the bus, we saw three large white tents set up adjacent to their home to accommodate the thousands who had visited throughout shiva. There was a large sign hanging on the house demonstrating that we, as a nation, remain united and refrain from speaking lashon hara about one another.
Hadas got up from shiva the day we visited. Earlier in the day she had been to Yossi鈥檚 kever for the aliya la鈥檏ever at Har Herzl and then at Shaare Tzedek visiting Yossi鈥檚 friend Elisha Medan (Elisha Yehuda ben Ruti) and other chayalim who were injured. Surrounded by her children – Beeri, Halel, Tal, Shira, and Neta – and close friends and family, including Esti Schwartz and Einav Rosen, Hadas graciously welcomed her 天美传媒视频 family into her home.
We brought some games that we quietly gave to the kids knowing that they could not and would not take away any of the pain, but wanting to give what we could to express our love for the family.
Rabbi Krauss gave Hadas the plaque of the congressional record entered by Congressman Ritchie Torres, eulogizing Yossi.
The pain was deep and too raw to bear. We cried and hugged and reminisced and wanted to hear more.
Yossi went to serve at the age of 44 because he was on a mission to defend and restore the pride and strength of Am Yisrael following the turmoil of the past year and the massacre that took place on October 7th. We were not surprised to hear from friends that his upbeat, light-hearted, and spiritual nature energized his unit. Hadas鈥檚 brother, Ori, who served alongside him, emphasized Yossi鈥檚 role in providing strength to the chayalim: “Hu chizek, chizek v鈥檆hizek” – “He strengthened, strengthened, and strengthened.”
Yossi鈥檚 unit entered Gaza, and he led them to Beit Hanoun. The soldier that stood next to him recounted that as they entered amidst the bright flares and explosive sounds, Yossi remarked, 鈥淲e are seeing and hearing the thunder and lightning鈥擨 feel like I am at Har Sinai.鈥 This statement encapsulates Yossi鈥檚 unique approach to the mission, blending a sense of purpose with spiritual reverence.
This mindset was similarly reflected in a letter that Hadas shared. While in Gaza, Yossi wrote to his staff thanking them for covering at the Pelech school in his absence. His message was one of 鈥淗ineni.鈥 Yossi was answering Hashem鈥檚 call and the call of Am Yisrael.
“讗诇讛讬, 注讚 砖诇讗 谞讜爪专转讬 讗讬谞讬 讻讚讗讬, 讜注讻砖讬讜 砖谞讜爪专转讬, 讻讗讬诇讜 诇讗 谞讜爪专转讬鈥” “讜讬讗诪专 讛谞谞讬” “讛谞谞讬 诇讻讛讜谞讛, 讛谞谞讬 诇诪诇讻讜转 讛拽讘”讛 拽讜专讗: “讗讘专讛诐 讗讘专讛诐”, 讜讛转砖讜讘讛 “讛谞谞讬”. “讛谞谞讬” – 诇讻诇 砖诇讬讞讜转 诪讟注诐 讛讛砖讙讞讛 讛注诇讬讜谞讛. 诇讻诇 驻拽讜讚讛 诪讗转 讛’. 讙诐 讛拽砖讛 讜讛谞砖讙讘讛 讘讬讜转专. “讛谞谞讬” 鈥 诪讬讚, 讜诇诇讗 砖讗诇讛, 讜诇诇讗 转谞讗讬. “讛谞谞讬” 鈥 讻讜诇讬, 诇诇讗 砖讬注讜专 讜诇诇讗 砖讬讜专. 讜诪住转讘专: “讛谞谞讬” 砖诇 讗讘专讛诐 讗讘讬谞讜 讛讜讗 转讜专讛 诇讝专注 讗讘专讛诐 诇讚讜专讜转 注讜诇诐. 讗讚诐 诪讬砖专讗诇, 诇驻讬 讻讜讞讜, 讝诪谞讜 讜诪拽讜诪讜. 爪专讬讱 诇讜诪专: “讛谞谞讬” 鈥 诇讗砖专 谞讚专砖 诪诪谞讜 诇驻讬 讻讜讞讜 讜讘讗讜转讜 讝诪谉 讜讘讗讜转讜 诪拽讜诐. “讛谞谞讬” 鈥 诇讻诇 讗砖专 讬讬讚专砖 诇讻诇诇 讜诇驻专讟. 诇讻诇 砖诇讬讞讜转, 讗诐 谞注讬诪讛 讜讗诐 讘诇转讬 谞注讬诪讛, 讗诐 拽诇讛 讜讗诐 拽砖讛. 讗诐 砖诇 讛驻住讚 讜讗诐 砖诇 砖讻专鈥 “讛谞谞讬” 鈥 讛讬讗 讛讚专讱: 讚专讱 讛讗讚诐 讘注讜诇诪讜 砖诇 讛拽讘”讛. (讛专讘 讗诇讬诪诇讱 讘专 砖讗讜诇 专讬讞 诪讬诐) 诪讝讛 砖诇讜砖讛 砖讘讜注讜转 讗谞讜 谞诪爪讗讬诐 讘诪诇讞诪讛 讗讜转讛 讘讬拽砖 讛拽讘”讛 诪讗讬转谞讜. 砖谞讻讘讛 讗转 讗砖 讛专讜注 讘注讜诇诐 讜谞驻讬抓 讟讜讘 讜谞砖诪讬讚 讗转 讛专注 讛拽讘”讛 砖诇讞 讗讜转讬 讻专讙注 诇诪砖讬诪讛 讗讞专转 讜诇讻谉 讛转谞转拽转讬 讗谞讬 专讜爪讛 诇讛讜讚讜转 诇讻讜诇讻诐 注诇 讛讛转讙讬讬住讜转 讛诪专砖讬诪讛 诇讚讜专讜谉 讘转讬讛 砖诇拽讞讜 驻讬拽讜讚 讜讬讞讚 注讬诪讜 爪讜讜转 讛讛谞讛诇讛 砖注讜讘讚讬诐 诪住讘讬讘 诇砖注讜谉 讜诇讻讜诇讻诐 砖谞讜砖讗讬诐 讘谞讟诇 讙讚讜诇 讻诇 讗讞讚 讜讗讞转.. 讻讜诇谞讜 讻专讙注 诪诪砖讬讻讬讜 砖诇 讗讘专讛诐 讻诇 讗讞讚 讘”讛谞谞讬” 砖诇讜. 诇讻诇 诪砖讬诪讛. 转转讞讝拽讜 讜讗诇 转讬专讗讜 “讜砖讗讘转诐 诪讬诐 讘砖砖讜谉 诪诪注讬讬谞讬 讛讬砖讜注讛” 讻讬 讛讬砖讜注讛 讛讝讗转 拽专讜讘讛 诇讘讜讗. 讗讜讛讘 讜诪注专讬讱 讗转 讻讜诇讻诐 砖讘转 砖诇讜诐
Loosely translated into English:
鈥淗akadosh Baruch Hu calls 鈥淎vraham, Avraham鈥 and the answer is 鈥淗ineni鈥. Hineni without question, Hineni without limits. Avraham鈥檚 Hineni is a Torah for all future generations. Every person, according to their place, time and strengths needs to answer Hineni to what is asked of him. For every mission, easy or hard, one that comes with gains one that comes with loss. Hineni is the way. For these three weeks that we have been at war, Hashem has asked this of us. He has asked that we extinguish the fire of evil from the world, and spread goodness. At the moment, Hashem has sent me on a mission which is why I have not been reachable for school matters. I want to thank Doron and Batya and the entire team for taking on my responsibilities at school. I know that you are all working around the clock. Each of us, as descendants of Avraham Avinu are currently in their personal “Hineni鈥 mission. Stay strong and do not be afraid. Draw forth strength, for the salvation is near. With love and appreciation to all of you. Shabbat Shalom.
Hadas shared with us a featuring IDF Col. Golan Voch during a moving shiva visit. Col. Golan Voch, renowned for his search and rescue expertise spanning two decades, has aided in disasters worldwide, including Surfside, Florida, and the recent earthquake in Turkey. Golan Voch was in Beeri and Reim on October 7th and then joined Yossi鈥檚 unit as they prepared to enter Gaza and take over Beit Hanoun. His proficiency in dealing with rubble and collapsed buildings proved invaluable in navigating the challenging terrain.
During a night of shmira (guard duty), Yossi and Golan, both musically talented, bonded even further. Yossi hummed a tune and Golan asked, “What is that song?”. Yossi replied that it was not a tune he would know, as he had been composing it himself in his mind over the past few weeks, incorporating the words from Tehillim: “讙诐 讻讬 讗诇讱 讘讙讬讗 爪诇诪讜讜转 诇讗 讗讬专讗 专注 讻讬 讗转讛 注诪讚讬” – “Even when I walk in the valley of death, I will not fear because you Hashem are with me.” Golan, moved by the melody, asked Yossi to teach it to him. They sang it back and forth throughout guard duty until Golan mastered the tune. Tragically, a few days later, Yossi was killed in Gaza along with Maj. (res.) Moshe Yedidyah Leiter z”l, Master Sgt. (res.) Matan Meir z”l, and Master Sgt. (res.) Sergey Shmerkin z”l. Golan, grieving the loss, was unable to recall the melody, regretting deeply not recording Yossi singing it as he never expected Yossi would not return. However, during Yossi’s funeral, amidst the somber music, the tune suddenly came back to Golan. When he came to be menachem avel during shiva, he pulled out a guitar and tearfully played the song
One night of shiva, Yossi鈥檚 students filled the tents and sang and shared stories of what Yossi meant to them as their principal and mentor. Hadas was appreciative of the many 天美传媒视频 students and teachers that came to visit throughout shiva as well, sharing the profound impact the Yom HaZikaron programs that she and Yossi created for the school had on them. Yossi and Hadas left 天美传媒视频 seven years ago and many graduates still feel very connected. Likewise, Hadas felt equally connected to them, noting the strength and closeness of the 天美传媒视频 family.
Hadas mentioned that her last musical gig with Yossi took place this past Chol Hamoed Sukkot, (just days before Yossi was called to serve). They went to the hospital together to bring some joy to patients on the chag. This is quintessential Yossi and Hadas, he on his violin and she on her flute, sharing their love and music with others. That is the way they interacted with the world–with soulfulness, sensitivity, and joy.
The hour was late. Before we knew it, we had been at the Hershkovitz home for an hour and a half. We hugged Hadas and her kids and her family members and friends. We all felt deep pain and wanted to be mechazek in any way that we could. We walked away, both stunned and strengthened by the stories of heroism, big and small, that we had heard. As the bus pulled out of G’vaot we were all silent. The pain was searing. There was much to process. I was thinking about how many people have been impacted by the loss of this one precious soul and how we could help and show our support to the family.
There is a long road ahead for healing and for nechama from this tragedy and what will help us through is our strength in unity, emunah, and answering our call of “Hineni”.
What We Can Do to Help
As a nation, we grieve together. Despite the physical distance that separates us, we can offer support to those in grief by writing letters. Letters to the Nation is a WhatsApp group posting information about fallen soldiers or civilians killed and explaining how to email brief condolence letters. These messages will be printed out and personally delivered to grieving families, including the Hershkovitz family, showing global Jewish solidarity during this challenging time. Together, we extend our love and support, bridging the physical gaps that separate us. Join here.
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