Our Shoresh, Our Strength
TO COMMEMORATE OCTOBER 7TH, MAGEN DAVID YESHIVAH HIGH SCHOOL GATHERED FOR A POWERFUL MORNING OF REMEMBRANCE,
REFLECTION, FAITH, AND UNITY.
Yossi Landau, co-founder of ZAKA, shared an emotional firsthand account of what he witnessed in the aftermath of the Simchat Torah attacks. “Don’t call it October 7,” he told the students. “I call it Simchat Torah.” His words were a reminder that even on a day marked by unimaginable tragedy, the Jewish people continue forward.
Landau spoke candidly about how deeply the experience affected him. For 13 months, he said, he could not look into the eyes of his own children and grandchildren. He was able to remain at his first grandson’s Bar Mitzvah for only five minutes. The faces of those he encountered during those devastating days remain with him, and he knows they will for years to come.
Yet his message was also one of unity and strength. He shared that the tefillot, thoughts, and good deeds of Am Yisrael give him the courage to continue. His message to the students was simple but powerful. We have to be together, and we have to help one another.
Yair Ansbacher, an Israeli reserve soldier who fought on October 7th, then took students through the events of Simchat Torah hour by hour, focusing on the critical three hours between 6:29 a.m. and 9:29 a.m. He described the attack, the response, and the people who immediately ran toward danger to protect and save others. Students also viewed chilling, never-before-shown GoPro footage from a terrorist in Sderot, providing a perspective on that morning few have ever seen.
When speaking about those who ran toward danger, Ansbacher questioned whether their actions should even be called heroism. To him, the answer was simple. “It’s good Jewish education.” When we see someone in trouble, he explained, we run to help. Of course we go.
His message was one of determination. Always fight. Even when you think it’s over, keep fighting. Never, ever give up. And don’t be afraid of anything but Hashem.
Rabbi Eli Mansour then brought the morning back to its spiritual foundation with a message of emunah. “Don’t forget the shoresh.” At the root of everything is Hashem. Our strength, our resilience, and our ability to continue forward all come from Him. Hazzan Mordechai Salem closed the program with a moving Mi Sheberach for the soldiers of the IDF, bringing the school together in tefillah for those who continue to protect Am Yisrael.
The program was thoughtfully created by Mrs. Margalit Alnatan with an important purpose. To ensure that students understand that October 7th is not simply about a number or a date. Each person we lost had a name, a family, a story, and a life.
We remember each one. We carry their stories with us. And, as Yossi Landau reminded us, even through profound loss, we continue forward together with achdut, courage, and emunah. Am Yisrael Chai.
