Sunshine Levi from Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha near the Gaza border stood last weekend at The Shul of Bal Harbour in Miami and, with a trembling voice, told the Jewish community members: “You remind us that we are not alone in this world.”
Levi, whose husband Dor went to fight as the commander of his kibbutz’s emergency response team on October 7, hid with their two children in a safe room that grim morning. “Today, I am expecting our third child,” she said. “The future is uncertain, but this child – the light growing inside me – proves that even though they tried to break us, they will not succeed. This child is our victory. Together, we will rebuild everything.”
That weekend, hundreds of Jews, Israelis and Americans gathered at the Shul of Bal Harbour in Miami, singing “Am Yisrael Chai” in unison, their arms wrapped around one another. The singing was led by Israeli children – the sons and daughters of emergency response team members from the Gaza border area – who, for one week, became an integral part of the Jewish community in Miami.
Some 700 emergency response team members from Israel’s Gaza border region and their families traveled to New York and Miami as part of “Project 24.” This initiative seeks to strengthen bonds with American Jewry and honor those who left their homes on October 7 to defend their communities against Hamas terrorists.
The delegation, comprising emergency response team members and their families from 27 kibbutzim, was hosted by 35 Jewish communities across New York and Florida. The project engaged over 12,000 Americans in hosting and funding the initiative.
2 View gallery
Families from the communities located near the Gaza border at The Shul of Bal Harbour in Miami
(Photo: Tal Sardenayof)
Sapir Habiban, who traveled to Miami with her husband - a member of the emergency response team in Moshav Yated, and their six children, shared her feelings: “Only here did I finally feel I could let go. There is an incredible support system here, and we don’t have to worry about anything other than healing ourselves.”
Project 24 was founded in October 2023 in response to the tragic events of October 7. The idea was launched when founder Daniel Gardos met his close friend Ron Asaf – better known as “Bubu” – who fought heroically on October 7 as part of the emergency response team in Kibbutz Re’im. That same day, Bubu and the entire community of Kibbutz Re’im were evacuated, along with other communities in the area. This served as a call to action for the two friends.
Together, they leveraged the extensive business network Gardos had built over the years, expanding it to forge strong connections between displaced Israelis from the Gaza border and Jewish diaspora communities facing a resurgence of antisemitism.
A salute to the families at the opening ceremony of the Maccabiah in Miami
(Gilad Cohen)
The families of the members of the emergency response team members from the Gaza border area also were introduced at the opening ceremony of the JCC Maccabi Games in Miami on Sunday night. The families, presented as the "Heroes of Israel," appeared on the main stage of the ceremony, holding signs bearing the name of the kibbutz or moshav that they were defending on October 7. The audience at the ceremony cheered and gave an extended standing ovation for the Israeli families.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: