Generations of children born in Kibbutz Nir Oz were raised by Roxana Salimson, 58, the community’s beloved kindergarten teacher. Everyone knows her there, and she knows everyone. Parents of young children today were once toddlers in her kindergarten years ago.
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Since Hamas' October 7 attacks, she has been living in the southern city of Kiryat Gat, where the evacuated residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz now reside.
"Children feel secure when their parents are calm. We went on a trip yesterday, and it was perfect, but we’re still waiting for everyone to return," Salimson said.
"For me, moving to Kiryat Gat is a kind of peace," she shared. Now, Roxana has returned to work at the kindergarten, and caring for the children with her kindness. "The kindergarten has a total of six children; we built it from scratch, and it feels good. We allowed ourselves to open the kindergarten from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 in the afternoon, and calms the parents down."
However, despite the routine in the children's daily lives, the pain is still present. "The kindergarten still misses Kfir Bibas, whose fate and that of his brother Ariel are still unclear, as well as Omer Siman Tov."
The residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz all moved to Kiryat Gat last week. Roxana and her husband, Tato Kivabe, received an apartment there: "It's not like life in the kibbutz, but it's much better than a hotel. They took care of us very nicely, and we feel at home," Roxana said.