This article was originally published in The Yizraelite on November 10th, it is republished here with permission from the author.
The author Yoni Brauman spoke with Navot Asaf about their experience in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak. They are fellow members of the northern Kibbutz Yizre'el in the Jezreel valley.
The events of the cursed and tumultuous 7th Oct Sabbath hit us like a tidal wave, leaving us all shaken. The pain of loss is still incomprehensible, the agony for those alive but in captivity burns the soul and offers no solace, and the pain of those who survived the ordeal echoes all around.
In the midst of all this, we, the civilians who are not enlisted in the IDF, are now trying to embrace the residents of the communities bordering Gaza. Our part in the war is to try to help, to preserve what remains and prevent further damage. Each person, according to his abilities and talents, is volunteering for various civil tasks. One of these tasks is the rehabilitation and operation of agriculture.
I met with Navot, who came home to Kibbutz Yizreel this week after three weeks in the dairy-shed of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak. He shared his experiences and shed light on the challenges in reviving agricultural activities in the region.
Navot explained, The kibbutz was attacked by Hamas terrorists on the Black Saturday morning. Dozens of Hamas militants entered the community, moving between houses, shooting and killing indiscriminately, and setting fire to buildings causing extensive destruction. The terrorists entered through the gate and headed straight towards the Refet (dairy-shed) at the entrance to the community. A fierce battle took place there between the community’s defence team and the terrorists. Some members of the home security defence team fell in this battle, and some were kidnapped to Gaza. The community residents were locked in ‘safe’ rooms for over 14 hours. After the massacre the security forces regained control and cleared the kibbutz of terrorists.
When the soldiers arrived at Nir Yitzhak, the kibbutz was empty of civilians, except for one veteran member who refused to evacuate. The army didn’t know his whereabouts, and his wife, in desperation, left without him. The soldiers finally found him inside his house.
Once all the residents had been evacuated, the soldiers on-site realized that they also had the mission of taking care of the remaining livestock. They fed and took care of the animals that remained alive and established contact with the Refet farm manager, receiving phone instructions on how to milk the cows that started suffering after not being milked. On the first day, they managed to milk 50 cows (out of some 300). They were very proud of this accomplishment. It’s amazing—soldiers who did agricultural work because they understood the critical needs of the animals and tried to minimize the damage.
Recounting his journey to Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, Navot explained that along the way, he picked up Ilana from Ein HaShofet. They had to hitchhike the last part, because their car got stuck, and that’s when they met Uri Raz. 19-year old Uri had embarked on an overseas trip after finishing a pre-army year of service on Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak. He cut his trip short and rushed home to assist in the dairy-shed. The three of them became the core group that rehabilitated the shed, creating a routine, recruiting more volunteers, and putting them in to the job.
Navot explained, “On the Tuesday night, we first went to the Patish animal feed centre, a regional feed centre of the Ambar company. The generosity and bravery of that commercial company in the early days of the conflict was astonishing. They loaded feed trucks and travelled to distribute food even in areas where fighting was still going on.”
Initially, they waited at Kibbutz Nir Oz for their military escort to Nir Yitzchak. When they arrived at Nir Oz, they witnessed unusual behaviour of the cows. The cows were distressed, aggressive and bellowing in pain and hunger. Navot found the key to the ‘Self’ (Mechanised Mixer Feeder for dairy farms) in the barn, took it, and began distributing food to the cows, calming them down. Then they were escorted by the military to Nir Yitzhak, where Navot began to distribute food using Nir Yizhak’s ‘Self’.
They found soldiers in the Refet, who, on their own initiative, realizing the need, and tried to do the farm work. This group mainly dealt with attempting to milk the cows through phone instructions. When Navot and the others, arrived, they started working more systematically after necessary electrical repairs. A truck with a milk container finally arrived to collect the milk. Before that, they had to pour the milk down the drain. The team that fixed the electricity was from the voluntary organization called Achim Laneshek (Brothers in Arms). Later, representatives from the Milk Producers Association arrived. “This was the closest to official representatives, they saw. “Everything was done through volunteering and the initiative of civilian individuals,” Navot explained.
Navot continued, “Uri, despite being only 19, effectively functioned as the manager of the Refet. He was in touch with the real manager of the Refet who had been evacuated with his family and was in a hotel in Eilat. Our group affectionately called Uri the ‘big boss’. Ilana took responsibility for the calves, and I ran the feed centre. Together we three brought the Refet back to function.”
Initially, the volunteers ate combat rations brought by soldiers, and later, food supplies started coming from local restaurants donated by civilians. The civilian mobilization was overwhelming, bringing them huge quantities of food, often more than they could eat. On Friday afternoon, a military van arrived, from which a young officer emerged with enough food to feed an entire kibbutz.
Uri’s group of three have assembled a team of about 10 volunteers who operate the Refet full-time. They work throughout the day, and as night falls, they retreat to their rooms, sitting together in the evening. A close-knit group has formed, a kind of commune, spanning a wide age range from 18 to 70, with conditions reminiscent of the past, including handwashing clothes.
When I asked how they manage to do the work in such conditions. Navot explained, "The army restricted us to work only during daylight hours. There are reinforced protected areas in the Refet. When you get the alert, you have only 10 seconds to find shelter”.
Navot continued, “In Nir Yitzhak’s dairy, the majority of the workers are kibbutz members, not hired from outside the community. They have all evacuated and are staying with their families in hotels far away, mourning the loss of family and friends who were murdered, and worrying about those who were kidnapped and missing”.
In 2019, Navot joined a delegation of dairy farmers that travelled to Germany. He shows me a picture of some of the participants, saying, ”Here is Reuven Hainik, and here is Yiftach Gorni, amazing people, both killed. Reuven Hainik, may he rest in peace, the manager of the dairy farm in kibbutz Kishufim, was murdered in the Kishufim Refet on the cursed Saturday night when he insisted on returning at night to milk and feed the cows that were hungry and suffering. He was murdered there by a terrorist who had hidden in the Refet. Yiftach Gorni, may he rest in peace, the manager of the dairy farm in Beer Milcha, was also murdered”.
In recent days, some kibbutz members have begun arriving back, moving between houses and starting to clean and organize things. They remove rotten items from refrigerators, begin to repair various infrastructures. The kibbutz’ dairy farm workers have also begun to return.
The agriculture sector suffered a severe blow. Many workers in agricultural farms were recruited to the army; foreign workers returned to their countries, and agricultural branches were left without working hands. Many volunteers from all over Israel and from all walks of life are trying to fill their places.
“On the weekends”, says Navot, “I will still go to help, to allow the dairy farm workers from the kibbutz to be with their families who were evacuated to various hotels. We are trying to create conditions for them to recover more easily from the terrible situation they are in now”.
It was very emotional to hear the experiences. Alongside the endless pain, the stories of the survivors and the concern for the well-being of the kidnapped bring comfort and much hope in stories of resilience for life.
It’s amazing to speak with a man who is such an inspiration, Navot Asaf.
Thank you very much.