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The Jerusalem Post

Survivors of Kfar Azza share their stories at Jerusalem Post’s 2024 Miami Summit

 
Alon Futterman, Gili Sayag, Yoav Bibas, Lena Yankelevich, and Israel Lender spoke of the effort to rebuild their community at the Miami Summit.

The Kibbutz members spoke of the effort to rebuild their lives and preserve the community after the attack.

The Jerusalem Post’s 2024 Miami Summit featured a deeply moving panel moderated by Alon Futterman, the Director of the Kfar Aza Foundation. Futterman, who was recently honored in the Jerusalem Post’s 2024 50 Influential Jews list and received a special award for his work, guided an emotional discussion with four survivors from the kibbutz Kfar Aza about the horrors they endured during the October 7 massacre.  

Gili Sayag (57), Israel Lender (66), Lena Yankelevich (42), and Yoav Bibas (22) recounted their harrowing experiences on the morning of October 7 and their journey toward healing. The attack, which left 64 members of their community dead and 19 abducted, remains an open wound for the kibbutz, with five still held hostage in Gaza.  

Sayag described spending 30 terrifying hours in a safe room with her husband and four-year-old grandson. I felt concerned about this little boy without his parents... and worried about my sons—one fighting outside and the other alone in his room," she said.

Despite her anguish, Sayag emphasized the importance of family and community. She shared her resolve to rebuild and support Kfar Aza through volunteering and initiatives like a communal coffee shop. For 22-year-old Yoav Bibas, October 7 reminded him of the fragility of life and the importance of the younger generation in preserving the kibbutz’s future. "I understand now that life can end in one second," he shared. Bibas is committed to ensuring Kfar Aza remains a place for young adults to connect and heal

Yankelevich spoke of surviving the attack in a safe room with her 86-year-old mother, who nearly gave up amid the chaos. Reflecting on the loss of friends and neighbors, she resolved to "be better as a person and as a community" and to support others in need through volunteer work.

Lender, a second-generation Holocaust survivor, drew parallels between the massacre and his family’s tragic history. "After going through the October 7 massacre, I see it as a supreme mission to tell our story," he said, highlighting the necessity of speaking out to ensure resilience and remembrance.

The panel concluded with Futterman emphasizing the ongoing need for support to help Kfar Aza rebuild. As the kibbutz faces years before returning home, its members’ unwavering commitment to community and safety remains a beacon of hope.