In the wake of the tragic events of October 7th, Telfed Chairman, Maish Isaacson, showed solidarity with those affected by the massacre and terror on that day and subsequently. He visited evacuees who had to leave their homes – the survivors and the families of those who lost loved ones, and those waiting anxiously for news of family members or friends taken hostage by Hamas.
In line with Telfed’s mission, the focus of his visits was on Southern African olim. Among the thousands evacuated from their homes near the Gaza border are over a hundred former South African families. Maish visited some of the moshavim that were the site of attacks. He was totally shocked by what he witnessed: ”When one sees the destruction of what really happened there, it makes one break down and cry. The total destruction of some of the places cannot be comprehended when you see it on TV – you don’t get the full understanding like you do when you see it in real life.
“I heard about people who, when being evacuated, had to pass by dead bodies of friends and neighbours strewn across the area. These were extremely emotional conversations.”
Maish also heard about the bravery of many who fought the attackers on the day. He heard from women whose husbands – the fathers of their children – lost their lives in order to save the lives of others. “I ended up crying – crying with real tears – with some of these people as they recounted the heroism of their husbands, brothers, sons and members of their kibbutzim and moshavim.”
Despite limited financial resources, Telfed undertook to assist these people financially to get through this extremely difficult time, and to provide love and emotional support. In addition to providing financial relief, Telfed put together beautiful gifts for the families. Maish explains that, “We continue to do this, but we would love to do more for these survivors, and hope to have the finances to do so in the future. I hope to eventually get to see every single one of those evacuated from their homes and dispersed across the country.”
He concludes: “Despite being extremely emotional, it was also a most uplifting experience for me in being able to console people and show them love, warmth and care from the Telfed family.”
Telfed www.telfed.org.il Email: info@telfed.org.il
• Published in the February 2024 issue – Click here to start reading.
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