Nine Months Ago I Sent My 5 Children to War

Nine months…

Those words usually conjure up emotions of hope, anticipation, family, growth, happiness, and gratitude. At present, the words conjure up something different:

Nine months since October 7th.
Nine months at war.
Nine months being held hostage.
Nine months since the world changed
Nine months since the ugly face of antisemitism resurfaced in a way not felt since 1938.

Nine months ago, I wrote about my personal experience sending five children to war that fateful Simchat Torah. Since then, my wife and I thank God every day that our children are working hard and doing well. We have been blessed with a new granddaughter during this time, born to my son who came from the battlefield to the hospital to be with his wife, who also came to the hospital from her base to have their first child.

 Yes, we are currently experiencing a very dark period, surrounded by many personal and national tragedies that are painful beyond description. But at the same time, we need to take a step back and appreciate where we are standing.

At the same time there are many families who have not been so fortunate. They have been on the receiving end of the dreaded knock at the door by soldiers tasked with the impossible mission of communicating to a family that their son, daughter, father, mother, spouse will never be coming home. My family and friends have been to many funerals. My kids have all lost friends. They have friends who have suffered injuries and they have witnessed the dark side of war and the psychological challenges that come with it.

Today, nine months has a different meaning.

I get asked all the time, “How are you and your wife doing? How do you guys sleep at night?” I always answer that we are doing well. My kids and their friends are fighting with conviction. They are taking responsibility for the Jewish people and are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. I am optimistic and we derive our strength from our kids and in having faith that we are doing what is needed and that this is all part of God’s plan.

I’ve been asked, “Hillel, when is this nightmare going to end?” and reply that I would not categorize Israel today as a nightmare. My optimism is not rooted in denial; it is grounded in the perspective that I believe we, as the Jewish people, need to keep in mind and remind ourselves daily.

Yes, we are currently experiencing a very dark period, surrounded by many personal and national tragedies that are painful beyond description. But at the same time, we need to take a step back and appreciate where we are standing.

We are living in Israel, our homeland, which is thriving. The city of Beit Shemesh where I live has grown from 25,000 to 150,000 people since I’ve moved here. Look at Tel Aviv, which in the past 23 years that I have been in Israel has exploded with world class skyscrapers and has become a world business center during the day and incredible cultural city by night. Look at Jerusalem – it is thriving and bustling with residents, students and tourists trying to soak in its beauty and holiness. Look at the unprecedented resurgence of Torah learning which has been supported by the government of Israel in a way that is unprecedented in the history of the Jewish people.

We have taken a desolate land that the world thought uninhabitable and turned it into one of the most thriving, beautiful, and powerful countries in the entire world. And we did this in just 75 years, under the most challenging physical, psychological and security circumstances. Every day when I drive through the amazing tunnel to Jerusalem, cutting through two mountains, or take a high-speed train to Tel Aviv, or go on vacation in the green mountains and valleys of the north, I say, “Wow! We live in the golden age of Jewish history.”

Take any Jew who has lived in the past 3000 years and drop them into Israel today, they would be utterly amazed at what they’d see.

Things are far from perfect. We are going through an extremely difficult period and have an enormous amount of work to do. But what we have been privileged to witness and experience in these past 75 years is nothing short of a miracle. Take any Jew who has lived in the past 3000 years and drop them into Israel today, they would be utterly amazed at what they’d see. They would feel privileged to partake in the beauty of Israel and to take, for the first time in 2000 years, a stand to defend ourselves and the entire Jewish People from our enemies.

The tragedy of losing a loved one in this war and the feelings of having a loved one held hostage for any amount of time (may they all be rescued and released speedily in our days) are unimaginably painful. Yosef Malachi, the son of my friend and neighbor, David Guedalia, was killed in battle against Hamas terrorists on October 7th. In a recent interview, David said, “If I think about our individual pain, it’s endless and there is no way I can describe it. But when we think about the national experience and we can understand that Yosef lived in Israel, part of this enormous historic process, it gives us the strength to walk out the door in the morning and continue our day.”

David is describing the meaningful feeling of being part of an unbroken chain of Jewish history and playing an integral role in God’s plan. That gives him and his family the strength to forge on, despite the gaping loss.

The rejuvenation of the national Jewish spirit and miraculous return to our homeland cannot be taken for granted. Our appreciation and gratitude to God must be celebrated every single day. The Jewish People have come far in the past 75 years, but our journey is not over. The road ahead is filled with both tears and joy. The more we grow as a nation and reach greater heights the greater we feel the fall in challenging times. God promised us his Torah and His Land and His love. But He did not promise it would be easy. It is paramount to keep in mind that we are contributing to part of lengthy process, the unfolding of Jewish destiny, where we can see the words of the Psalmist coming to life, “Those who sow the land with tears, will reap the crops with joy”.

During the past nine months there have been too many tears for every beautiful, precious soul we have lost and for every hostage living through hell waiting to come home. But for the first time in 2000 years, my children, together with every other brave soldier in our most amazing army, has the opportunity, ability and privilege to risk their lives and do whatever they can to bring every hostage home and ensure the safety of Jews in Israel and around the world. And when we are victorious in this war and return to building our nation and country, we will have the privilege to debate and figure out how Jews from all over the world, with different cultures and priorities, can live together harmoniously, thriving and growing, and continuing to be a true light unto the world.

May our faith be strengthened by appreciating all the gifts we have been given, and may the next nine months and many years ahead be associated with hope, anticipation, planning, family, growth, and happiness.