Bereaved Rabbi to Attend National Memorial, Calls for Unity

Rabbi Beni Kalmanzon, president of the Otznel Hesder Yeshiva, will participate in a national memorial ceremony three years after his son Elchanan was killed during the rescue of residents in Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7th. His nephew, Pediah Mark, also fell in the war. Rabbi Kalmanzon described his feelings as "a lot of pain," which intensifies around the anniversary. He also expressed pride in the youth's actions during the initial days of the war, highlighting how Israelis rose to help others despite the tragedy.

Kalmanzon believes that Israel's enemies, like Hassan Nasrallah and Yihya Sinwar, misjudged Israeli society, perceiving internal divisions as weakness. He stated that while they saw a fractured society, the "internal cords" of the Jewish people are very strong. He recounted how his son Elchanan, along with his brother Menachem and nephew Itiel, went to Kibbutz Be'eri to save lives, and Elchanan fell during the rescue operations. Kalmanzon found it strange that some questioned why his son, from a religious Zionist family, would rescue residents of a kibbutz perceived by some as secular or left-wing, emphasizing, "We are all brothers."

As political divisions resurface in Israel, Rabbi Kalmanzon aims to keep the memory of October 7th separate from these disputes. He agreed to participate in the national memorial ceremony, where he will recite Kaddish, without initially being aware of the controversy surrounding separate memorial events. He clarified that he would not participate in anything political and intends to call for unity, connection, and Zionism.

Kalmanzon stated that while multiple memorial ceremonies are acceptable for such a large-scale tragedy, he is concerned about attempts to weaponize the memory for political battles. He wishes for the memory to encompass not only the disaster but also Israel's progress since then. He plans to apologize to anyone who might view his participation as a political endorsement, while simultaneously challenging the politicization of the event. He stressed that October 7th belongs to the entire Jewish people, not to any specific political camp. He also urged that past disputes, such as the disengagement from Gaza, should be set aside on this day, emphasizing, "Jews against Jews, not in our house."