Faith helps with the fear for local parents of Israeli soldiers fighting in Gaza

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/02/2024 (630 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For most Winnipeggers, the war in Gaza is something they just see in the news. For a few families, though, it is very close and personal — they have relatives there either seeking refuge from the fighting or who are part of it.

The latter is the case for some local families who had sons fighting in Gaza with the Israeli Defence Forces over the past few months.

Two of the families reached out to the Free Press to share their stories of what it was like to have children in combat so far away. They requested anonymity because of safety concerns about online harassment and other attacks.

“Abraham” grew up in Winnipeg before moving to Israel in 1984. He and his wife “Naomi” have dual Canadian and Israeli citizenship; they have a home in the city and return here on a regular basis for a couple of months at a time.

The couple have seven children, with two of their sons having served with the IDF in Gaza. One 26, has a wife and child and is in university. The other, who is 29, is not married and is an artist. They were both called up on the same day.

Both have completed their service and are back to civilian life, but could be called back any time, Abraham said.

During their time in Gaza, “We had no contact with them,” he said. “Every minute we feared a phone call telling us the worst. We had a huge sigh of relief when their service ended and they were safe and could go home.”

While they were involved in the fighting, they leaned on their faith to help them cope. “Our recitation of the Psalms increased dramatically,” he said, noting Psalm 121 was especially comforting, with its words about how God watches over people to keep them from harm.

A story that also came to mind was the time the biblical Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son as a show of faith in God. For this couple, the story paralleled their willingness to sacrifice their sons, too.

“I thought about that story a lot,” he said, adding “but it’s not just my story. It’s the story of so many other Jewish families.”

They would rather their sons didn’t have to fight at all. “We wish they were living normal, peaceful lives. But that just isn’t realistic for us right now. It’s important for people to realize that. This war was thrust upon us,” he said.

His wish is for peace for everyone in the region.

“I am devastated by what has happened to people in Gaza,” he said. “Some might feel we, as Jews, are OK with it. We are not OK with it. But what choice do we have? Hamas terrorists are hiding among the civilian population.”

“We don’t want to be at war,” he added. “But until other countries and terrorist groups agree to live in peace with Israel, we will need an army to defend it.”

Winnipeggers “David” and “Miriam” have three children, including a son who moved to Israel after he turned 18.

He did his mandatory military service shortly after his arrival and was about to start university when the war started and he was called up.

When the fighting began, “we didn’t know where he was,” said Miriam. “We went a week without hearing anything.”

After that, their son, 24, was able to call them every five days or so. “When he contacted us, he wasn’t allowed to say where he was or where he had been,” she said.

For Miriam, work was a distraction from the constant worry and anxiety she felt. “I never thought in all my life one of my children would be fighting in a war,” she said, adding that she also limited her exposure to news from the region and from social media.

“I was anxious and very worried. I prayed a lot.”

“It was challenging to be out of touch for long periods of time,” said David, adding he had a mix of “pride and worry” for his son.

The couple also found comfort in their faith, adding the reading of Psalms to their daily prayers and synagogue attendance, along with lighting additional candles for soldiers and the hostages on Shabbat.

Their son is now out of the army and back at university. “I’m not as tense anymore, and I’m not thinking about, ‘What if he is called back up?’” Miriam said, noting the IDF provides good supports to soldiers after they return to civilian life.

Nicole Amiel, media relations director for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said the organization doesn’t know how many Canadians or children of Canadians are fighting in Gaza.

“Beyond anecdotal information, CIJA doesn’t have official numbers,” she said.

The Times of Israel has reported that 237 IDF soldiers have been killed since the ground invasion of Gaza began.

faith@freepress.mb.ca

The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER