A Visit to an Israeli Kibbutz

When news broke of the Hamas attack in Israel, my husband Eric realized that two of the communities hit were those that he had visited during a government trip to Israel in 2014. This meant that many people he met were brutally murdered on October 7, 2023. I’ve asked Eric to join me to tell us more about his 2014 trip and we discuss why terrorism and violence are never excusable.

I know that much news from the Israel conflict is hard to read/watch/listen to, but something I am trying to do as a white Christian: try to stay with it past the moment of uncomfort. When you are compelled to turn away, keep with it for a few moments. Let your heart break a little more. As Leonard Cohen says, that’s how the light gets in.

Note: a transcript of this recording is available above, done by AI. Please excuse any misspellings/grammatical errors on behalf of the robots.

Photos from Eric’s 2014 Trip:

The Kindergarten building in Kfar Aza, with a concrete structure built over it to protect from Gazan rockets.

The school playground in Kfar Aza, note the concrete structures that allow quick and easy cover in case of an attack.

The train station in Sderot… notice the underground bunker-like construction. Passengers wait for the train under the concrete structure.

Sending much love to our Jewish friends,