That OTHER Israel

Geula Rabi of Kibbutz Kerem Shalom sent me pictures of him visiting the kibbutz. In those terrible days of the "conception," the misguided belief that Hamas was deterred, the residents of Kerem Shalom lived under the constant threat of sirens, with rocket fire an almost daily occurrence.

Part of their coping mechanism was through a moving communal ritual they called "planting in place of falling." Whenever a missile barrage led to a rocket exploding in the kibbutz and creating a crater, they'd invite the community to plant a tree inside that very hole.

If the enemy already dug the pit for us, they explained, why not use it for planting? If there is already a hole in the earth, let something good, green, and fresh grow from it, something that wasn't here before.

During one such ceremony, Hamami appears emotional, planting a tree together with the children of the kibbutz, and thanking them for inviting him.

"Many holes were dug here," they told me this week at the kibbutz, which is now absorbing new families. "There are many gaps to fill. So much is missing."

But the image of Hamami planting a sapling inside the crater gave them hope this week. That, they said, is his legacy: to grow from hardship.

Sunday School Lessons for Adults: As we welcome the new month of Kislev, do you remember what we learned in kindergarten about this month and about the upcoming holiday of Chanukah? Everything we learned still holds true today:

• Kislev is a month in which the light defeated the darkness.

• It is a month that commemorates the struggle between the forces of good and evil. The side that ultimately emerges victorious is not the stronger one, but the one that represents the truth. All our enemies will eventually find themselves in the trash can of history.

• Kislev is a month of military might as well as spiritual strength.

• Sometimes we need to maintain our courage over an extended period, and it may be difficult to keep up the momentum. Kislev reminds us that we can continually increase our strength. Just like the Chanukah candles, we add another candle each day, and each day has its own light. Similarly, if we manage to carry on our daily routine during these challenging days, each day is its own success.

• Finally, this is a month of miracles, prayers, and salvation. History has shown us that anything can happen, and we may be surprised by something good we never anticipated. A small jar of olive oil provided enough light for eight days, and in the end, the light was greater than we could have imagined.

3 Important Reminders from the biblical story of Isaac & Rebecca: 1. What is your goal in life, to destroy others or to build yourself? This week's Torah portion relates how the Philistines are constantly blocking Yitzchak's wells and harassing him. It's strange, as these are their own water sources as well. But, as we've seen throughout history, our enemies want to harm us so much that they are even willing to harm and destroy themselves.

2. Isaac and Rebecca pray for twenty years before they are blessed with children. Prayer transforms reality for the better. We must act in this world, but we must also pray. Let us add our prayers today for the safety and welfare of the Jewish people wherever they may be, in Israel and all over the world.

3. Good will triumph. The wonderful promises that Isaac hears in this week's Torah portion are being fulfilled in our generation, and G od willing they will be fully realized very soon: "And I will multiply your offspring like the stars of the sky, and I will give to your offspring all these lands, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring."

Sivan Rahav Meir is a primetime news anchor with weekly broadcasts on television and radio. Her "Daily Thought" has a huge following on social media, with hundreds of thousands of followers, translated into 17 languages. She has published several books in English and was recognized by Globes newspaper as Israel's most popular female media figure and by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews worldwide. She lives in Jerusalem with her husband Yedidya and their five children.

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Previously:
• 11/17/25