Meet Tamar, Shaul, Natan, Avishai (and Noa Miriam who graced this world just two days after our session). The Van Dijk's.
It had been one and a half years since Tamar’s entire family was together. That Sukkot, her parents and each of her siblings had come with their families from their place in the world to spend chag in the Holy Land. On the morning of Simchat Torah, Tamar was dressing her kids to go meet her family when an alarm sounded. She quickly brought them somewhere safe, careful not to make a big commotion as they were not yet aware of what that sound meant. The three of them made it safely to Tamar’s parents where sirens continuously went off. Shaul returned from synagogue, phone in his hands. He updated the family on the horrors that had occurred that morning, remaining on his phone to get updates from his commander throughout the day.
Shaul serves on a team at an Air Force base that receives and treats wounded soldiers on site when they are not transported directly to a hospital. He would be needed urgently. While he was officially drafted that day, it was two more days before he was notified of an exact location. Due to the nature of his team's work, they were amongst Iran's major targets. They heard frequent explosions nearby. Shaul shared that he got through the days by focusing on team work. He and fellow soldiers supported one another and carried each other through.
Meanwhile, Tamar at home was just trying to focus on getting through the day. She tried to remain as positive as she could knowing that the kids would pick up on whatever she was feeling. Their three year old son would often ask her at school pick-up, “Is aba (dad) home today?” Tamar learned in those months how to accept help even though it was not in her nature.
Shaul was released in the beginning of 2024 and got called again Erev Pesach. Tamar jokes that the Van Dijk’s are playing the Hokey Pokey: “We’re in out, in out, shake it all about.” The morning of our photoshoot, Shaul had been released again. Tamar was grateful that he could attend their daughter’s birth just two days later.
The Van Dijk family, with their sweet new addition, were together for three special weeks before Shaul was called back. “It wasn’t easy, I’m not going to lie. Do I feel proud of him? Very much so. Are we privileged to be in a position to help protect Am Yisroel? Absolutely, and we don’t lose focus of that for one moment.”
