Sarah Pachter Was in Israel on October 7

Sarah Pachter, an inspirational author and speaker – as well as a writer for Aish.com – was in Israel on October 7. She, her husband, and their five children were visiting from Los Angeles and were there to celebrate their daughter’s bat mitzvah.

That tragic Shabbat morning, Sarah said, “We woke up to the sirens.”

The entire family went into their hotel’s bomb shelter, hiding alongside Muslims and Christians and other Jews.

“What was most shocking to me was when we got home, I was expecting the world to have empathy for Israel,” she said. “All I saw around me was this hatred towards Jews and Israelis and regular people who were vacationing in Israel. It was mind-blowing.”

Sarah had always written about Judaism in her books like “Small Choices, Big Changes” and “Is It Ever Enough? A Journey Toward Joyful Living.” But after October 7, she shifted her focus to writing about the heroes from that day and profiling the brave survivors.

For instance, she interviewed Oz Davidian, who rescued 120 people, and she spoke with Shlomi Stock, a 22-year-old lone soldier in the Israeli army who was shot three times in the head in Gaza and miraculously survived. Her other profiles for Aish.com included Ofri Reiner, a Nova survivor, and Itay Shabi, who lived in Kibbutz Beeri and ended up surviving the October 7 assault on his community.

“I’m looking them in the eyes and seeing their pain and tears,” Sarah said. “It’s really difficult to do that.”

Sarah Pachter with 107-year-old survivor Risa Igelfeld
Lynn abesera photography

Now, along with continuing to tell these important stories, Sarah is running on the Aish Ha’Am slate for the World Zionist Congress election. Her goal? To educate about Judaism and help Jews see the meaning and wisdom in it – just like she does.

Finding Her Judaism

Sarah was not always religious growing up. When her family decided to start keeping Shabbat and kosher, she didn’t understand why.

However, all that changed when she went to study in Israel for her gap year.

“I did a deep dive and really found such a depth and beauty to Judaism I didn’t know existed,” she said.

She started to see the Torah as a guidebook for life.

“It’s unfathomable how many layers there are to every piece of it,” she said. “It’s a chain that goes all the way back to Mount Sinai. I found such incredible wisdom to life’s most important questions.”

Sarah continued, “We often wonder: How can I be happy? How can I be successful? Well, it’s turns out there’s a manual. It’s called the Torah. I wanted to share this gift with anyone who was interested.”

Educating Others on Judaism

Sarah believes education is crucial when it comes to strengthening the Jewish people and instilling pride in the next generation.

“Education isn’t available to everyone in a palatable way,” she said. “We need to speak about it in a way that’s entertaining and relevant and makes people interested in it.”

Education is one of the platforms of the Aish Ha’Am slate, along with antisemitism and Jewish unity.

“Education can change the other two,” Sarah said. “It can affect antisemitism and create more unity.”

She is running on Aish’s slate to help secure more resources for the organization and help them “do more of the great work they are already doing,” she said. “I believe Aish is one of the best organizations in the world. They have an incredible reach and do so much to fight antisemitism and educate and bring about Jewish unity. They are working around the clock. It’s only a taste of what could be. I want to be part of it. If I can use my reach to get more votes for Aish, it’s worth it.”

The Pachter Family
Jared Bernstein photography

Sarah is urging the Jewish people to participate and vote in the World Zionist Congress elections.

“There has to be a time for action,” she said. “Every single Jewish American has to vote. Your vote is your power. Your vote is your voice for change.”

Lessons for the Next Generation

Along with ensuring younger Jews are properly educated on Judaism, Sarah also encourages them to have pride in their identity.

“Being Jewish is such a gift,” she said. “Jews have had to fight to practice or secretly practice because they were not safe or free to do so. If you’re a Jew today, you have a gift of Judaism and freedom, and you have to take advantage of those two things and choose one action you will do to show your Jewish pride.”

It’s up to the individual to determine what they want to take on.

“Do a mitzvah, wear a Jewish star – just do something,” Sarah said. “That’s my advice to any young Jew today. Don’t ignore this gift of Judaism or walk away from it. Give it a shot and see what it can do for you and how happy it can make you.”