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Heroes-First Testimony Midwest Tour
February 20 @ 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Please join JCC Chicago as we welcome 4 survivors of the October 7 massacre in Israel. These heroes stood in the face of evil, lent a helping hand, saved lives and now they share their stories of survival.
Maximum Capacity: 130 people
Free and open to all.
Registration is REQUIRED.
Delegation members subject to change.
Hila Fakliro – Nova festival
“In the early morning hours we found ourselves instructed to lie on the floor due to the continuous rocket attacks in the area. Amidst the chaos, the police directed us to enter our cars and evacuate the premises. As I reached the road outside the party venue, blocked on both sides and surrounded by uncertainty, the rockets persisted in their ominous presence. Forced to take cover due to the perceived threat of terrorists, we were soon instructed to resume our journey in the cars. As we moved forward, a sudden wave of people running towards us, warning of imminent danger, created a scene of panic. Gunshots echoed from both the front and the back, prompting the police to advise us to abandon our cars, enter the secured area, and run eastward. Brief stops along the way offered only momentary relief, as the sound of gunfire persisted. The ensuing four-hour journey on foot, with two armed police officers as our escorts, covered 15 kilometres without water. Finding refuge in Moshav Patish, graciously hosted by a local family, we remained in hiding until the situation became clearer.”
Yarden Raskin – Kibbutz Mefalsim
“On the morning of 7:10, I was at my parents’ house in Kibbutz Gevim, celebrating Simchat Torah. We woke up to the sound of sirens and hurried to the safe room. After a few minutes of continuous explosions, we began to hear gunshots and blasts. After a few minutes, we received messages about an infiltration by terrorists. We were instructed to take shelter in the safe room. We didn’t have weapons, so we followed the instructions and when we learned from family in Be’eri what was happening there, we barricaded all entrances to the house with furniture and the door of the safe room. During this time, we tried to distract ourselves, and Every time the gunshots approached, we simply stopped and remained silent. On Sunday afternoon, after over 30 hours, we evacuated from a side gate with small bags, accompanied by security ensuring the exit from the kibbutz.”
David Bar – Kibbutz Alumim
“On October 7th my sister in law was murdered in the city of Sderot. My wife and I have 3 kids that each live in different Kibbutzim in the Gaza envelope. All of our children, and us, have been evacuated from our homes since October 7th in different places. We miraculously survived the attack on our Kibbutz but 23 workers were murdered at Kibbutz Alumim.”
Din Tesler – Nova festival
“I am 21 years old from the city of Holon. Since I am a former combat soldier in the Nachal Patrol unit, I worked as part of the security team at the Nova festival. I worked at Nova with a good friend of mine, Bar Kupershtein, who was kidnaped by Hamas terrorists on October 7th and is still held hostage in Gaza. I have made it my personal mission to tell our story to the world and find it is a form of therapy for me.”
This program is brought to our community by The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, JCC Association of North America, the Zionist Enterprises Department and JCC Chicago.
