First Wedding Held in Kibbutz Kerem Shalom Since October 7 Attacks

Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, located in the Eshkol Regional Council near the Gaza border, hosted its first wedding ceremony since the Hamas attacks on October 7. The event, held Thursday, saw Sivan, a local resident who grew up in the kibbutz, marry her partner Meir. The couple chose to hold their celebration at the kibbutz's swimming pool, a location significant to Sivan's upbringing.

For the Kerem Shalom community, the wedding marked a significant return to normalcy and a symbol of resilience. The kibbutz was evacuated following the October 7 attacks, and many residents only recently returned to their homes after an extended period away. The decision by the couple to marry in their childhood community was seen by the kibbutz leadership as a major victory and a powerful statement of continuation.

"The couple's choice, with her being a kibbutz daughter who grew up here, to marry right here, on the kibbutz paths, is our greatest victory," stated the Kerem Shalom management. They added, "We went through the worst. This place also saw very difficult moments, our community was broken and rebuilt, and we returned here a year and a few months ago." The management emphasized that the choice to build a new home there is an "exciting declaration that we continue to live and grow out of great love for the place."

The wedding took place just weeks before the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks. The kibbutz noted the poignant timing, stating, "In about two and a half weeks we will mark October 7 in the community, and pain and hope are intertwined, precisely on this evening."