Honoring the Victims and Celebrating Heroism
Throughout my years with NCSY Kollel, I have found inspiration in every role I’ve undertaken, from being a tenth-grader inspired by my Madrichim to my current position as a Madrich, learning and growing alongside the young men in my Chabura. Each experience has provided me with unwavering inspiration.
However, nothing compares to the profound inspiration I experienced during our recent visit to the Nova Festival Memorial. It is difficult to encapsulate in words, so instead, I will quote the military commander who addressed our group: “The Hamas terrorists were headed towards Be’er Sheva, one of the largest cities in Israel. They were surprised to find the attendees of the Nova Festival in their path. As a result, they paused and diverted their attack to the festival, ultimately never reaching Be’er Sheva. This group of Jews who attended the festival potentially saved the lives of thousands of others.”
The commander’s statement highlights the unintentional heroism of the festival attendees. Since October 7th, there has been a tendency to search for someone or something to blame for the atrocities that are taking place. However, it is clear that this approach is unproductive. Instead, we should focus on honoring and praising those who lost their lives in these horrific attacks.
This theme of honoring the past is evident in this week’s Parsha, which recounts the story of the daughters of Tzelofchad. After their father died in the wilderness due to his own sins, his daughters approached Moshe to argue that their father’s name should not be forgotten and that they should be entitled to his inheritance. Hashem affirmed their plea, granting them the land that Tzelofchad would have inherited, thereby ensuring that his name and legacy were preserved.
Reflecting on these experiences, I am reminded of Rav Mayer Twersky’s message he shared with the Kollel just last week: rather than assigning blame for tragedies, we should focus on self-improvement and personal responsibility. This mindset not only fosters personal growth but also strengthens our community. The profound inspiration from witnessing the unintentional heroism at the Nova Festival Memorial underscores the importance of honoring those lost and continually striving to better ourselves for the greater good.
Yisrael Einhorn is a contributing writer to Jlife magazine.
