We in the United States talk about the attack of October 7th. But to the residents of Kibbutz Kfar Azza, the attack lasted 2 days through the morning of October 9^th, and its effects continue into the present as they struggle with the aftermath of the attack.

Last Thursday, we listened to three members of the Kfar Azza community (Oded Etinger, Liora Eilon, and David Sharabi – pictured from left to right] as they recounted hiding in their safe rooms during that time – without food, water, or a toilet, hearing the shots of automatic weapons and the sounds of hand grenades exploding outside, and thinking of their imminent deaths. Many hours later as Liora, David and Oded escaped, they took in the devastation of their community and learned about the deaths of family members and friends.

In the 593 days that have elapsed since the initial attack, these survivors are still processing their experiences. They are all still living in alternate housing and contemplating where they will ultimately call home again. They grieve for the family, friends, soldiers and hostages that they have lost and have their own individual responses to the Israeli government’s approach to ending the war in Gaza. Liora stated that she was a peace activist before the attack and remains a peace activist now. Oded expressed grief at the death of innocent Palestinians in Gaza. As we listened to them, we understood that Israelis do not have a monolithic point of view, and the current coalition leading the government does not express the perspective of all of the people of Israel.

We were touched by their moment-by-moment recollection of the events of October 7th and how they problem-solved how to respond to the many threats that arose. We also identified with their emotional reactions as each challenge presented itself and they made choices which would determine their survival. There were no absolutes that day, only uncertainty about the present and the hope that the Israeli army would finally arrive to save them.

The representatives of Kibbutz Kfar Azza presented their stories by first sharing how they became a part of the Kfar Azza community. Although they had lived there for different amounts of time, they all felt connected to the fabric of the community in a very powerful way, as if they were all part of a large family with commitments to each other’s lives. They spoke of their personal experiences on October 7^th, and then how they have been faring since their escape. Each of them continues to reflect on how their lives will be reconceived going forward, and their commitment to remaining in Israel seemed immutable.

An unfortunate legacy of the Holocaust is an identity of victimhood which has left some Israelis feeling entitled to wreak vengeance against people who they perceive as their enemies. The delegates from Kfar Azza rejected that narrative of victimhood. They were deeply traumatized by the attack, but they do not want any more killing in their name. This would not help them to heal or to get on with their lives.