Just days after the October 7 massacre, a volunteer from Israel’s ZAKA rescue unit, Yisrael Hasid, entered homes in Kibbutz Nahal Oz to search for survivors and recover victims’ belongings.
Amid the devastation, Hasid found a small, soot-covered Hanukkah menorah in the destroyed home of Shifra Noy, one of the kibbutz’s oldest residents, who was brutally murdered during the attack.
Hasid shared a photo of the menorah on social media. By chance, Shifra’s 12-year-old grandson, Alon, recognized it and told his mother, Dorit. Dorit contacted Hasid, and the menorah was returned to her.
"The menorah had a pendant on it that I had bought for my mother during a trip to India," Dorit recalled during a visit to her mother’s destroyed home with Hasid last Friday. "The pendant didn’t survive, but the menorah did."
Shifra, a beloved figure in Nahal Oz, was killed in her home, which was then set on fire, like many others in the kibbutz. A total of 57 residents were murdered, and 20 are still being held hostage in Gaza.
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"I’ve been to many communities in the area since the massacre," Hasid said. "I collected every Jewish artifact I found, hoping to return them to the families. That’s how I found Shifra’s menorah." Despite the heavy soot, the menorah remained intact and will once again light up this Hanukkah for Dorit’s family.
The discovery has forged a bond between Dorit and Hasid. This Hanukkah, Shifra’s menorah will be lit in Nahal Oz, bringing light back to a family scarred by loss.
"My mother always brought light into our lives. We celebrated every holiday at her home as a family. Even when we weren’t with her, she sent us food in containers. Just a day before October 7, my sister visited her and brought us some of Mom’s dishes," Dorit said, her voice heavy with longing.