Meet Tamar, Oved, and their five little lights. משפחת גמלא.
Oved had been extremely busy as a battalion commander, preparing for two weeks of intense training following Simchat Torah. On the morning of October 7th, he received a call from his workplace in Kfar Etzion that alarms were sounding and shelters were being opened. Just moments later, Oved’s commander called to notify him that he should be ready to jump at any moment. When Oved realized what was transpiring, he woke the children up and told them that a war had broken out and that he needed to go. They gathered around and made a quick kiddush as a family before saying goodbye. Oved was soon on his way to the north joined by other soldiers, “כל אחד מהמקום שלו בארץ” (each from his place in the country).
Tamar, alone with her five children, continued to observe the Chag with only the alerts from the Home Front Command sounding on her phone. By the afternoon, all kinds of rumors were circulating and Tamar was worried for her family in The Otef; her parents and sister in Kfar Maimon and her brothers in Yeshuv Shlomit- all located in the Gaza envelope. She knew a catastrophe had occurred but did not know the extent of it until Chag was over. Thankfully, her family was okay. Oved had been assigned to the northern border with his battalion and it would be six longs weeks before he could return home to his family for the first time.
There was much uncertainty over the months that followed. Tamar’s family was evacuated from their homes and her parents came to stay with her for a week until they could be accommodated in hotels. For a long time, Kerem, their only boy, wore his soldier costume instead of Shabbat clothes. There were days where he insisted on going to school with his closed toe shoes, belt, and watch, “להיות כמו אבא” (to be like dad). On one of Oved’s visits home, it took their youngest Nahari four days to look him in the eye. (Tamar assures that by now she absolutely adores her dad!)
About six months from the start of the war, Oved returned to his family and Tamar’s parents returned to their home. There was some semblance of normalcy again. But, Tamar says, “אנחנו עדיין בסרט” (We are still in the movie).
Oved was home for just two months before he was called back again. He fought for two months in Gaza and was only released a month ago. Last week, he was called up again to serve in the north.
“יבעצם זאת השגרה שלנו בשנה האחרונה
הרבה ימים מילואים, תקופות ארוכות שלא מתראים, שלא מדברים, שלא שומעים אחד מהשני אבל בצד זה מרגישים שזאת זכות מאוד גדולה להיות בתפקיד כל כך משמעותי בתקופה קשה הזאת.
ועוד זה ממש משימת חייו ואנחנו כל הבית מגברים אותו וגם בא מאן וכנסים כל אחד לתמוך איפה שהוא יכול.”
“Essentially this has been our routine for the last year. Many reserve days, long periods of not seeing each other, speaking to each other, or hearing from each other but we feel that this is a great privilege to be in such a significant position during this difficult time. It is really Oved’s life’s mission and each one of us in the house raise him up and are so proud of him. We each try to support him in the way that we can.”
Tamar, we are holding you while you wait for Oved to return.
🇮🇱 עם ישראל חי
