Kibbutz Family Combines Baking and Barefoot Therapy to Heal After October 7 Attacks

The Reizel family from Kibbutz Yad Mordechai shared their experiences before and after the October 7 terror attacks. Paz Reizel, a third-generation kibbutz member whose grandparents helped found the community in 1936, and his wife Naama, who moved to the kibbutz after meeting Paz at work, described their life and challenges amid the ongoing conflict. They initially rented a home before purchasing a house for about 2 million shekels, after passing a community acceptance committee.

During the October 7 attacks, the family took shelter in a safe room while Paz served in a local security team. After news of a close friend's death, they evacuated to a hotel in Hadera, where the children stayed for six months. The family struggled with the hotel conditions but appreciated the community support. Eventually, they returned to a nearly deserted kibbutz, which they describe as a "ghost town," with only a few homes occupied. Despite fears of future attacks, they chose to remain, viewing the kibbutz as their home.

Naama serves as a reservist in the Israeli Air Force, managing an information system, while Paz transitioned from agriculture to education and social work. He combined his passion for baking and social work to create "barefoot baking" therapy workshops aimed at helping youth and families cope with trauma. Since 2024, he has conducted over 300 home-based workshops, using baking as a medium to foster communication and healing. The family runs the business together, with their daughter Hadar managing social media and assisting with logistics.

Financially, the family manages well despite some logistical challenges due to the kibbutz's location. Paz noted the benefit of a tax exemption on the first 250,000 shekels of income. The family remains committed to their community and hopes to expand their therapeutic baking workshops in the future.