Nova Survivors and Freed Hostages Mark Year of Resilience in Europe
A unique spiritual journey, organized by the 'Kesher Yehudi' organization, brought together survivors of the Nova music festival massacre and former Hamas hostages. The trip, described by participants as one of "victory, faith, and gratitude," aimed to foster spiritual growth and connect participants with Jewish heritage and righteous figures.
The journey began in Poland, with visits to Warsaw and its Jewish cemetery. There, participants heard harrowing stories of Jewish children hiding in burial pits during the Holocaust. A particularly poignant moment occurred when Matan Angarest, a freed hostage, stood over one of these pits, nearly a year after his own ordeal in Gaza's tunnels. This juxtaposition of survival against Nazi atrocities and Hamas captivity deeply moved those present.
The group then proceeded to the Majdanek concentration camp for a moving ceremony of accepting the yoke of Heaven. The trip was accompanied by Rabbi Israel Goldwasser, who led inspiring songs and teachings, preparing the group for the High Holy Days.
From Majdanek, the delegation traveled to Leżajsk, Poland, to pray at the tomb of Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, seeking blessings for the Jewish people. Following prayers, they embarked on an overnight journey to Kežmarok, Hungary, a town steeped in religious history.
A significant culmination of the trip occurred at the tomb of Rabbi Isaiah Halevi Horowitz in Kežmarok. Exactly one year prior, Angarest's father and brother had prayed there for his release from captivity. This year, Angarest, healthy and spiritually strengthened, stood at the tomb with fellow survivors to express gratitude for their miraculous survival and newfound commitment to observing Shabbat and Jewish law.
Rabbi Tzilli Schneider, the initiator of the journey, expressed her satisfaction, noting the profound impact of seeing young survivors, who had witnessed immense horrors, now filled with praise and devotion. The group spent their final Shabbat near the rabbi's tomb, further preparing spiritually for Rosh Hashanah, accompanied by Rabbi Yaron Ashkenazi. The journey concluded with a midnight Selichot service at Rabbi Horowitz's tomb, where participants made resolutions for continued spiritual growth. The group returned to Israel spiritually uplifted and filled with gratitude.
