The Aftermath of Oct. 7

Before Purim we led a group of about 20 Brownstone volunteers down South to help at farms and orchards, witness the carnage, and meet survivors. The day included a visit to Sderot and meeting Morah Adit, who had been running the largest kindergarten in Jerusalem with over 600 traumatized children ages 1 to 6—we danced and sang Purim songs with them. We toured Kibbutz Be’eri, where Hamas terrorists massacred over 130 people; our guide, who lost many family members, spoke about the importance of Jewish unity. At the end of the day we held a moving kumzitz at Nova. All participants were extremely affected, and we are planning another trip after Pesach.