For three years, Evgenia Shalev didn't speak publicly about her experience on October 7th. That morning, she was at home in Kibbutz Sufa with her two children when terrorists broke into its grounds.

Shalev recalls hearing the terrorists outside her home, and then hearing them begin to break down the front door. There were no weapons nearby; the Mamad door was malfunctioning. To prevent her children with special needs from understanding the seriousness of the situation, their mother told them it was a game: they simply had to sit very quietly to win.

As the terrorists attempted to break into the house, counterterrorism officers from Eilat arrived in Sufa. A helicopter gunship they called in attacked the terrorists—and this, according to Shalev, forced those near her home to retreat. She later met the pilot: "You arrived like an angel from heaven."

But this is also the story of why Sufa didn't suffer the same fate as other kibbutzim. A small local self-defense group with a few rifles held off the terrorists for many hours and prevented new groups from breaking through the breach in the fence. The group's commander killed the attacker's commander early in the battle, disrupting their coordination and buying time until help arrived.

After October 7th, the trauma did not end. Shalev is a teacher at a school that lost students and staff; among her students were those killed and abducted. And yet, today, people are not only returning to the border kibbutzim—new families are wanting to move there. Shalev explains this by solidarity and a desire to help rebuild what they tried to destroy.

Hosts: Vitaly Novoselov, Roman Indyk, Elli Abanin.

00:00:00 — Kibbutz Sufa on the Gaza border and life after the tragedy of October 7th.
00:00:51 — Chronicle of October 7th at home on the kibbutz with two children
00:04:40 — Why was it necessary to explain to the children that the terrorist attack was a game?
00:05:24 — "I'm starting to say goodbye to my husband over WhatsApp": terrorists at the door of the house
00:07:42 — Could the door of the mamad shelter have protected the family from terrorists?
00:08:51 — Five defenders and four M16s: how did they manage to defend Kibbutz Sufa?
00:13:59 — When did the army arrive in Sufa and how were the residents evacuated?
00:16:24 — How did the elimination of the terrorist commander help the defenders of Sufa buy time?
00:17:42 — What happened at the Sufa military base near the kibbutz?
00:18:32 — How are local schools coping with the deaths of students and teachers on October 7th?
00:20:39 — How can we help students when teachers are experiencing the same trauma?
00:23:17 — Returning to Kibbutz Sufa: Can the house be rebuilt?
00:24:39 — How can we restore children's sense of security and trust in adults?
00:26:59 — Why are new families choosing to live near the Gaza border?
Watch "Nepechatnoe. Live" broadcasts every day from Sunday to Thursday at 6:00 PM Jerusalem time.

Website: https://www.newsru.co.il/
Telegram: https://t.me/NEWSruIsrael

Advertising: advertising@newsru.co.il