Kibbutz Evacuee's Trauma Becomes Poetry Collection
Translated & summarized from Davar by baba
Rina Levnon, a poet and kibbutz member from Kfar Blum, has published a poetry collection, 'Golden Cut,' detailing her evacuation and return during the Israel-Hamas war. The book captures the chaos of October 7th, the feeling of abandonment, and the difficult decision to return home. Levnon describes her poetry as a healing force that gives voice to the trauma of living in a war zone. The collection also reflects on the broader impact of the war on the community and the struggle to find hope amidst destruction.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Rina Levnon, a poet from Kibbutz Kfar Blum, published a poetry collection about her evacuation experience.
- The book, 'Golden Cut,' describes the chaos and feeling of abandonment on October 7th.
- Levnon and her family evacuated but later chose to return to their kibbutz.
- She felt a responsibility to return to prevent the community from ceasing to exist.
- Her poetry is described as a healing force that gives voice to trauma.
- The collection includes poems written during the first 18 months of the war.
Rina Levnon, a member of Kibbutz Kfar Blum in northern Israel and a mother of three, has published a poetry collection titled 'Golden Cut' detailing her experiences during the October 7th attacks and the subsequent evacuation. Levnon described the morning of October 7th as a "panicked rush of people, stocking up on supplies, and everyone started disappearing from here." She felt abandoned on the border, noting the "absurd" situation where only the elderly and the standby unit remained in the kibbutz, located just six kilometers from the Lebanese border.
Levnon and her family evacuated independently, first to her sister's home and later to Kibbutz Beit Hashita. Despite the warm reception and integration into the local community, the feeling of displacement persisted. After three months, they decided to return to Kfar Blum, driven by a sense of responsibility to prevent their home from becoming abandoned. Levnon expressed a fear she had never felt before: that Israel itself might cease to exist if everyone chose to leave.
Upon returning, Levnon and her family lived in a war zone, with a nearby Iron Dome battery and frequent drone sounds. Her poetry collection includes a "war diary" section with poems written during the first 18 months of the Swords of Iron War. One poem, "Voluntary Evacuation," written on October 10th, 2023, captures the chaos and disintegration of family routine during the evacuation. Another, "Half a Year to the War," reflects the heightened tension and the contrast between a mother's anxiety and her daughter's innocence.
Levnon, who also serves as a community rabbi for the Reform Movement, views her poetry as a "life-saving" and healing force, giving voice to unspoken feelings. The book aims to articulate the experiences of those who evacuated and those who remained in the war zone. The collection concludes with two alternative prayers, "Traveler's Prayer" and "We Will Remember." The publication of the book will coincide with a gathering of Kfar Blum members to share their memories of October 7th, acknowledging that their world, too, was shaken and broken.