Last week Chabad Israel Center hosted a magnificent Friday night dinner with 10 severely wounded female soldiers and victims of terror. Over 500 people attended, taking the opportunity to recognize and thank these heroines. During the meal, one of the soldiers, Chani Avramov, shared her story with us:
“I served in the Border Guard, in a unit that works to capture terrorists attempting to enter Israel.
“On the day of the attack, July 30th, 2001, several members of my unit were preparing to drive to Tulkarem, to go about regular army activities. I was not initially part of the group, but I volunteered to stand in for a friend who needed to be elsewhere.
“We piled into an army jeep and drove off. I was sitting at the very back of the vehicle, and I noticed a car driving behind us. I didn’t give it much thought, but the next time I turned around I saw four rifles sticking out of the car, pointed directly at me.
“I froze. Almost before I had time to react, a burst of gunfire began. Four terrorists shot 29 bullets. A total of 27 reached th
e back of the jeep. I was severely injured. One bullet lodge in my leg, and as I screamed to the driver a second bullet landed in my jaw. Part of my jaw fell onto the ground as well as a part of my tongue.
“Trying to escape as fast as he could, the driver sped up, and I fell out of the jeep onto the ground. It was a miracle that the terrorists did not come back to make sure I was dead.
“I remember no more from that day.
“I found out afterwards that it took three attempts to resuscitate me; the medics were not sure I would survive. And when I reached the hospital, the doctors predicted I would not survive the night. I had already lost an
enormous amount of blood.
“In fact, they were so sure I was going to die, that my family was initially told I was already dead.
“But I pulled through. My body did not let me down and I survived seven hours of emergency surgery.
“My physical recovery started that day, and more than ten years and fifteen surgeries later it is still not over. I still have a long list of operations that I need to undergo.
“My mental recovery was even more challenging. Those two bullets stole my two biggest loves: singing and dancing. The first bullet stole my voice; the second changed me from a promising young dancer to someone who walks with difficulty.”
I looked around as Chani spoke. I have never seen 500 people listen to a speaker so silently. I have never seen 500 people with tears in their eyes simultaneously. Chani’s story had touched each and every person present.
And then she shared something even more personal. She told us that even before the attack which almost killed her, her life had not been simple.
“My mother had been ill and I had been responsible for taking care of my siblings and the housework for a long time. But despite the pain and hardship our family endured, I never saw her father cry.
“Until I was injured.
“I remember lying in the ICU, falling in and out of consciousness, and I saw my father holding my hand and crying. This was something I had never seen before, and even in my semi-conscious state, unable to speak, I motioned for a pen and paper and wrote, ‘Father, don’t cry. Today I am falling, tomorrow I will get up.’”
A chill went down my spine when she uttered these words. What powerful words from such a courageous young woman. It’s unfathomable. Still in the ICU, condition unstable, Chani was already giving hope and strength to those around her.
The truth of her words still resonates, “Today I am falling, tomorrow I will get up.” On a personal level, Chani has indeed managed to “get up”, to heal, to carve out a new life for herself. And on a communal level, her words speak the fate of our nation. For millennia we have faced persecution, torture and suffering. But time and again we pull through, strong in our faith and our community. We have suffered so much in this current exile – more than 2000 years – but we know the time will come when we will get up. We will be redeemed.
DIna wrote...
Ariella Mechoullam wrote...