The Stories From Israel We Need to Hear

The young father whose wife and three children were kidnapped.

Another father whose murdered wife and son were found in each other's embrace.

A mother whose son - responsible for the armory in his community - was killed defending his neighbors.

A 13-year-old girl who buried her best friend.

How do you remain composed hearing these unimaginable stories of horror?

Truth is, you don't.

On Wednesday evening, UJA President Linda Mirels and I, accompanying Governor Kathy Hochul, heard these stories and others while visiting a kibbutz hotel in central Israel. The idyllic location stood in stark contrast to the emotional trauma of the 400 people temporarily relocated there from Kfar Aza, a kibbutz near the Gaza border destroyed on October 7.