Since he was a baby, 19-year-old Noy Ron has moved between the United States and Israel. He was born in San Diego, moved to Israel with his family at the age of two, returned to the U.S., and then came back to Israel to volunteer for national service and enlist in combat.
"I experienced the events of October 7 firsthand, but I'm committed to joining the combat forces with all my heart because Israel is my home," he says. His parents, Gil and Ofri, originally from Emek Hefer and Ein Yahav, now live in the U.S., but he and his older sister Mai, who also moved to Israel to serve in the IDF, are currently in Israel.
Noy came for a year of service through the Tzofim Garin Tzabar program. Before the Simchat Torah weekend, he was torn between accepting his aunt Ortal Chaimi's invitation to visit Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak or staying in the center of the country. Ultimately, he chose to travel south on Friday to visit his aunt, while her sister planned to join him on Saturday. That Friday evening, he found himself discussing the view from Nir Yitzhak with his relatives.
"I explained to them about Gaza City and its residents, emphasizing that not all are bad and that there's hope for a better future," Noy recalls, not realizing how drastically things would change the next morning, when he and his family narrowly escaped danger.
"We woke up to a morning filled with rocket sirens and relentless barrages," Noy recounts. His awareness that it was not a dream was confirmed when he saw Zamir Chaimi – his aunt's husband and the uncle of Tal Chaimi, who was killed defending the kibbutz and whose body is held captive by Hamas – urging everyone to take shelter."
"When I heard that terrorists had entered Nir Yitzhak, I felt utterly helpless. Videos began to flood in, and the updates on our phones left no doubt that we were at the center of the chaos," he remembers. "My parents reached out to check if everyone was safe; I was confused because I wasn't even familiar with the term 'infiltration.' My aunt Ortal was in constant contact with the auxiliary squad and several others from the kibbutz. During those conversations, we heard the desperate cries of the emergency squad members who were falling in battles against the terrorists – screams of death and calls for help."
Noy, his aunt, her husband and his two cousins waited helplessly, unarmed, clutching the shelter door handle tightly. The terrorists broke into neighboring homes, murdering the occupants and looting everything they could find. By some twist of fate, the terrorists did not enter their home. "It was an endless nightmare. Without the auxiliary squad, things could have turned out very differently," Noy explains. It was only in the evening, with the arrival of military forces at the kibbutz, that they could relocate to the kindergarten building in Nir Yitzhak, which were deemed secure and easier for the armed forces to control.
It wasn't until Monday night that they parted ways – Noy returned to Emek Hefer, while his other relatives from Nir Yitzhak were evacuated to Eilat. "I hadn't been to Nir Yitzhak since I came to Israel, and it was by fate that I visited that weekend for the holiday," he recounts. After a few days, he returned to the U.S. for several weeks. The stark contrast between the traumatic event he experienced in Israel and the complete calm he felt upon reuniting with his parents was striking. However, during that time, something ignited his deep loyalty to the State of Israel.
"I witnessed the rising hatred toward Jews and the wave of denial about the events of October 7, which led me to make the immediate decision to move to Israel and enlist in the IDF," explains Noy. He is scheduled to join the IDF's combat forces in December. "Although my experiences on October 7 made me question the military system's effectiveness, I quickly realized the importance of joining the combat forces to defend the country. Events like that tragic Saturday demonstrate the necessity of a strong military to protect the nation and unify its people. If the emergency squad members risked their lives to protect us, then I am determined to protect the lives of the country's citizens."
'It was the first time I saw my father cry'
On October 7, 18-year-old Maya Sassi was in Los Angeles, where she was born and raised, when she received the heartbreaking news that her family members attending the Nova Festival – her uncle Avi Sassi, her pregnant cousin Nitzan Rahum, and Nitzan's partner Lidor Levi – had been killed by Hamas terrorists. However, another cousin, Omri Sassi, who was one of the event's organizers, managed to escape, along with Avi's daughter, Danielle Sassi, her husband Maor Peretz, and Lee Sassi, Avi's niece.
Maya's parents, Vered and Kobi, along with her siblings Lior and Omer, were born and raised in Netanya, but Maya has spent her entire life growing up in California. When the news from Israel began to arrive, she and her family were glued to their TV screens, trying to reach out to those in Israel at the time. Since Maya had an important exam the following day, her parents asked her to step away from the news so the distressing reports wouldn't distract her. When she returned from the exam, she was met with a somber atmosphere.
"It was the first time I saw my father cry," Maya recalls. "When we finally made contact, we were told that my uncle Avi had been killed in the shelter where he was with several others. Lidor and Nitzan were initially declared missing until, a few days later, a video emerged showing Lidor being shot by terrorists, and Nitzan's body was also identified."
Maya's parents traveled to Israel, while she returned to Milken, the Jewish day school she attended; but her mind wasn't on her studies. "It felt strange to go back to school, even though it was a Jewish school. There were ceremonies and discussions about the events, but no one truly understood what was happening in Israel," she explains. "I remember attending a senior event that was enjoyable, but it felt inappropriate given the situation in Israel, especially since some of my family members were killed at the festival."
Despite this, Maya was determined to move to Israel and serve in the IDF – a decision she made back when her older sister followed a similar path. "The terrorist attack on October 7 only strengthened my desire to move to Israel because we are a very Zionist family – a family that feels like it’s in Israel, even though we're actually in the U.S.," Maya adds.
Recently, she fulfilled her dream and arrived in Israel. Currently, she is staying with her mother, but she plans to eventually live on her own, starting at Kibbutz Ein Hahoresh. There, she will go through the necessary steps to ease her integration.
"I was very close to my family, and Nitzan's mother was supposed to host me when I arrived. I am deeply saddened by their deaths, but that's not what drove my desire to move to Israel. I feel very connected to this place. For me, it's my home. I want to enlist and stay here," Maya clarifies, setting her sights on becoming an infantry instructor.
"I have a lot of support from my home and family. While there are natural concerns due to the situation in Israel, ultimately, they are proud of the step I've chosen," Maya says. She says she wants to convey a message: "We must not be divided against each other in Israel; we need to support one another. This includes not only enlisting in the army but also through volunteering and mutual assistance. Just as there are soldiers who made it possible for me to visit Israel during the summer, I want to ensure others can come here safely, while preserving the place I love most in the world."