Grateful to Be Alive

Amnon, 77, has lived in Kibbutz Kfar Aza since 1978, an Israeli community near the border with Gaza that was targeted by Hamas on October 7.

That morning of the attack, Amnon had the feeling something was wrong. “I live with my wife and her caretaker. My wife is a very sick woman. I already felt that this time was different when the siren sounded at six in the morning,” he says.

His wife was sleeping in their safe room, so they all joined her and locked the door. “I don’t know why, but even when the siren finished, I told my wife it was better to stay in the safe room,” he says. Then they started hearing gunshots outside the house and people shouting. “I called the neighbours and they answered in a whisper, ‘close the door and don’t go out; there are terrorists outside.'"

“I’m a calm person by nature. I’ve been through four wars, but this is the first time that I felt I might not get out of it alive,” says Amnon. “We were lucky because the terrorists didn’t enter our house,” he adds, feeling grateful to be alive.

He is also so grateful for IFCJ Canada’s help after such horror and tragedy. Still coming to terms with the destruction of his community and the brutal killings, Amnon doesn’t know when he’ll be able to return to his home, but he knows it won’t be soon. The purchase card from IFCJ Canada will allow him to buy basic needs for his family while they plan their next steps. “It moves me to see how [people] care about the Jewish people in Israel and mobilized to help… These vouchers will allow me a fresh start. Thank you!”

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