Meet Yoel, Danielle, Ava and Ayalla. The Kaufman’s.
One moment they were celebrating chag together as a family, and the next, Yoel was on his way to serve. Danielle described the overwhelming challenge of life changing so instantaneously: “It was so hard… It was such a shock.” The months that followed were difficult. Danielle had to stay strong for her girls and suppress her own crippling fear. Knowing that Yoel needed to stay strong and focused too, Danielle never told him how scared she was. Meanwhile, the girls were constantly asking for “Aba.”
At one point, their oldest, Ava, stopped walking. While medically nothing was wrong, the doctors explained that her emotional trauma had manifested physically. At four years old, Ava began therapy to cope with the trauma she experienced in the wake of the war.
Through it all, Danielle turned to G-d for strength. “I had so much emunah and bitachon in Hashem.” She would find herself saying, “thank you Hashem for keeping him safe” - while driving, between work, during quiet moments. Later, Yoel would tell her about the multiple “close calls” he experienced (like the time an RPG flew over his head, narrowly missing him) and it was clear that there really was what to thank G-d for.
With no family nearby, Danielle relied on her faith and the support from other women in her community. One woman brought dinner for her and the girls every night. Another friend from the north whose husband was serving in a special unit, moved into Danielle’s home with her own two children. While the men were at war, the women were holding down the fort. “We got through it together.”
Thank you Kaufman family for sharing your story. Your strength is remarkable. Praying that this chag you get to celebrate together as a family without interruption.
עם ישראל חי 🇮🇱
