(haipo) - About two weeks after the terrible massacre on October 7, we published in Chai Pa an interview we conducted with Israel Rabivo, the head of the Zaka North team, who told only a little of what he saw together with the many Zaka volunteers who came to attend to the scenes of the massacre in the south, which were unusual and unbearably difficult even for The oldest and most experienced volunteers.
Now, almost a year after that terrible day, Revivo is back and is being interviewed by Hai Fa - about the complex year that has passed him since then, about the struggles following the events and the belief in a better future. "This year was one of the most complicated in my life."
A year has passed
It is almost unbelievable that a year has already passed since the October 7 disaster. A disaster that changed the State of Israel forever. The worst disaster that Israel has experienced since its foundation has been called various names - the Black Sabbath / the October Shabbat disaster / the Simchat Torah massacre... Not one of them can describe the dimensions of the horror, the horror and pain that have burned in the hearts of each of us since then.
It was supposed to be a day of celebration and joy - "Simchat Torah" - which turned into a nightmare with the outbreak of a large-scale surprise attack on military and civilian targets in southern Israel. In the attack, approximately 1,145 people were murdered and injured, over 1940 were injured and 251 civilians were kidnapped. As of September 2024, 97 people are still held captive by Hamas, of which, as far as is known, 33 are no longer alive and their bodies are held by the terrorist organization.
what is left
The severe upheaval experienced by Israeli society due to the disaster is felt even now, a year later, to which are added the daily threats of the fighting that is escalating on the northern border, with the future shrouded in fog. A year ago, about two weeks after the disaster, we conducted an interview with Israel Rabivo, head of the Zaka team in the north, a medic and the owner of a private business (laundry) in Kiryat. who found himself tending to what was left of them in the horrifying arena.
Today we are interviewing him again, to hear about his personal dealings during the past year, about the challenges, struggles and the strength he musters to overcome and move on, hoping for a better future.
One of the most complicated years of my life
"The last year has been one of the most complex I've been through in my life. Right after I finished my assignments in the south following the events of Shivah in October, I was responsible for purifying and cleaning the vehicles that were at the scene of the Nova party. About 400 vehicles were evacuated to the settlement of Takuma, and my job was to make sure that there were no findings or remains at the scene, Along with collecting blood and personal belongings, all this in cooperation with the Lahav 433 unit of the police.
After I finished these tasks, I was drafted into the reserves at Camp Tziporit in the north, where a large emergency set-up was established to ensure our readiness for significant emergency scenarios in the north. I participated in several exercises with the security forces in Israel.
From there I was recruited by my rabbi, Yosef Menachem, to the navy in Haifa. My role is to serve as the main responder in any scenario where there are vacancies in the Navy in the Haifa and North region. Since the seventh of October I have been fully recruited into the Navy, and provide a primary response in the Navy arena in the event of serious incidents.
About three weeks ago, a ship near Nahariya was hit, apparently by an interceptor, during a pre-emptive attack. A soldier was killed and several soldiers were wounded. I, together with my team, accompanied the family of the fallen soldier and carried out the "grace of truth" in full. At the same time, within the framework of ZAKA, we continue our emergency routine and deal with accidents, attacks and murders every day. The high alertness and the incessant events leave a mark on us, but we continue forward."
The support is necessary
"Zeka immediately understood the critical need for mental support for the organization's people. Everyone who was active in the south or in other unusual events, not only in the events of Shiva in October, received emotional support. Zaka recruited professionals in order to give each volunteer the opportunity to share, release and cope better with the difficult experiences and scenes. This support is necessary, especially in such intense and complex situations.
After the October Shabbat, there were associations and also private individuals who reached out and expressed a desire to honor our work in various ways, whether by organizing an "on fire" evening, or double weekends at a hotel, or other activities designed to ease the tensions that accumulated in us following the difficult events. It is true that these things do not solve the problems, but these gestures are important and meaningful for us and definitely help us, also in the long term."
Mental damage may appear in the future
"I personally believe that when the war is over I will finally be able to make time to take care of myself. I know that it is my duty to take care of my mental health, because if I don't do it now, the damage may appear in the future. I intend to start treatment as soon as possible, and I hope that it will help me cope with things i passed
We have a volunteer in the northern district who was mentally damaged and is currently being treated. This was a red light for all of us. As a team leader, I understand the importance of recognizing the early signs. You should pay attention to the quiet volunteers, those who work quietly and dedicatedly, but at home face real and deep distress. This is an important lesson for me and for all the leaders in our teams," Rabivo emphasizes.
special forces
Does your practice of routine in difficult cases protect you mentally?
"I believe that the Holy One blessed us with special powers. Not every person is able to deal with the things we see and do. I'm almost certain that if people were offered to engage in these fields, the majority would shy away. I know security forces, policemen and firefighters, that when they arrive at difficult scenes, such as those that are Where corpses are in a state of decay, they stay outside and ask me to go in and collect details. Some are simply not able to deal with these sights. Even firefighters who work in an automatic way, turn their heads to the side so as not to be exposed to the harsh sight."
straight to hell
"We, on the other hand, go directly into hell, take care of every detail and perform the grace of truth in its entirety. I believe that the power to do this comes from the Holy One, blessed be He, who gave us special abilities to deal with this reality. The grace of truth is one of the most sacred things in religion , and we do it for nothing. We don't expect the state to give us recognition, but act out of a sense of mission. There are good people in the nation who appreciate our actions in different ways, and it's heartwarming, at the same time On all of us and make sure to keep our motivation to continue doing this complex work."
Unity must not be forgotten
"I think that when the war started, a rift that had started even earlier was revealed. On the seventh of October, everyone woke up and took stock. We realized that if we continue to hate each other and divide, the enemy will see our lack of unity and use it to continue killing and carry out another massacre. For a certain moment, we experienced a change - a sense of unity that brought us together.Unfortunately, that feeling passed too quickly.
As with any difficult event, people get stronger and change, but time passes and routine forgets what happened. We must not forget the importance of unity. We must love each other, regardless of political views or nationality - whether left-wing or right-wing, Jewish or Arab - we are all part of the same society."
"We didn't internalize the painful lesson"
"Unfortunately, although 11 months have passed since then, we are again witnessing protests and tension in the Shev Vatsaf nation. This shows that we have not internalized the painful lesson. My prayer is that we will wake up this time once and for all and that we will not have to go through another disaster to understand this. In the month of Elul, we ask for forgiveness, but we are not We have to wait for this day to apologize. Forgiveness should be an integral part of our daily life. Our goal is to continue from where we were that October - to be strong and to be in a place of love and embrace, not of quarrels and division."
full of hope
"I am full of hope that we will be in true unity, that we will be able to bridge the gaps between us and that all the kidnapped, the soldiers and the wounded will return home safely. I hope that the war will come to an end and that we will not experience any more wars like this.
I want to congratulate all the people who got involved, helped and continue to help - whether they are good citizens who have resources, or those who don't have much, but are doing their best. Thanks to everyone who asked, supported and helped. Some people are remembered and awakened only in times of disaster, but there are also many who contribute all along. I wish all of us a happy, quiet new year and that we only hear good news. May it be a year of peace and may we pass this time in peace and quiet."