As dawn broke over Sderot on October 7th, 2023, the sun illuminated a scene of unimaginable horror. The air, thick with smoke and terror, carried the sounds of gunfire and screams. In mere hours, this vibrant Israeli town near the Gaza border had been transformed from a close-knit community celebrating the joyous holiday of Simchat Torah into a war zone. For Dina Handler, a single mother of four, this day would begin a harrowing journey that would test her resilience, challenge her faith, and redefine her understanding of home.
Dina’s story is not just a tale of survival; it’s a testament to the human spirit’s capacity to endure and rebuild in the face of unspeakable tragedy.
The night before had been filled with laughter and song as Dina and her neighbors celebrated their faith and community. Little did they know that their world would be turned upside down by morning. At 6:30 AM, the familiar wail of sirens pierced the morning calm. But this time was different. The barrage was relentless, a symphony of terror that showed no signs of abating.
“We started hearing the sirens,” Dina recounts, her voice still tinged with disbelief. “No one knew what was going on.”
Within moments, Dina and her four children – aged 20, 17, 14, and 7 – were huddled in their shelter, a space that would become their entire world for the next 15, excruciating hours. Outside, chaos reigned. The sounds of gunfire drew closer, and the realization dawned that terrorists were in their streets, indiscriminately attacking anything that moved.
In a moment of desperate curiosity or perhaps maternal instinct to protect her family, Dina ventured a look outside, and what she saw chilled her to her core. “I saw a white van with terrorists,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “They were just shooting everywhere.”
As the hours ticked by, the Handler family remained trapped, their fear compounded by uncertainty. Attempts to reach the police went unanswered – they would later learn of the brutal attack on the local police station, leaving many officers dead or wounded. Cut off from the outside world, with no way to escape – their car damaged by missile shrapnel – they could only wait and pray.
When salvation finally came in the form of Israeli soldiers, the escape from Sderot was fraught with danger. Dina made the heart-wrenching decision to send her three younger children ahead while she stayed behind with her eldest daughter, who was paralyzed by fear. “She was afraid someone would come and rape her,” Dina explains, her voice breaking at the memory.
Their journey out of the town they had called home for three years was a gauntlet of terror. Dodging gunfire, they were forced back into their shelter when they encountered more terrorists. The scenes that greeted them as they finally managed to leave were apocalyptic – burned-out cars, bodies in the streets, the once-peaceful community transformed into a battlefield.
For months, the Handler family lived as refugees in their own country, first cramped in a small room in Jerusalem with Dina’s mother, then in a hotel. The bustling city offered no comfort, no sense of community. The children, particularly the younger ones, struggled to process their trauma. Nightmares plagued their sleep, and the once-routine act of attending school became an insurmountable challenge for Dina’s 14-year-old son.
Despite the hardships, Dina courageously decided to return to Sderot. It wasn’t an easy choice, but it was driven by a deep-seated belief in the power of community and the importance of home. “If you ask me why I’m still here,” Dina says with quiet determination, “it’s because it’s like a family. You’re never alone.”
Yet, life in Sderot remains far from normal. The children still sleep in the shelter, haunted by the echoes of that terrible day. Simple tasks like using the bathroom trigger anxiety and fear. Dina now works from home, always available to comfort and support her children as they navigate this new reality.
The Handler family’s story is just one among many in Sderot. This community, which has long lived under the threat of rocket attacks from Gaza, now grapples with a new level of trauma. Many families were displaced, leaving everything behind in their desperate bid for safety. Those who have returned live with the constant threat of renewed attacks, and their sense of security shattered.
But amidst the pain and fear, there is hope. The people of Sderot have shown remarkable resilience, their bonds strengthened by shared trauma and the determination to rebuild. Dina speaks of the children playing outside again, of laughter returning to the streets. It’s a testament to the indomitable spirit of this community.
However, the road to recovery is long and challenging. As a single mother, Dina bears the full weight of her family’s financial and emotional well-being. Many families in Sderot face similar struggles, grappling with the costs of rebuilding their lives while dealing with profound psychological scars.
This is where we can make a difference as a global community. By supporting families like the Handlers, we can help Sderot not just recover, but thrive. Our aid can provide essential supplies, fund trauma counseling, and help rebuild homes and lives. More than that, it sends a powerful message: compassion and solidarity will always prevail in the face of terror and hatred.
Dina’s parting words resonate with hope and gratitude: “I want to invite you to visit Israel, to visit Sderot, and to see how wonderful this part of the land is. To see all the kids playing outside and laughing, loving to be here.”
Ultimately, Sderot’s story is not just about survival – it’s about the triumph of the human spirit. It’s about a community that refuses to be defined by tragedy, that chooses to have hope over fear and live life rather than despair. By standing with Sderot, we affirm our belief in a better future – one where peace and understanding can overcome even the darkest of days.