OPINION:
“This people of mine, this nation of mine, has been such a light to me.”
This week, as Jews around the world celebrate the eight days of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, these words are fitting, aren’t they?
“In this holiday of lights, I just wish for one miracle. For the hostages to come home and the war to end…”
These words, spoken with both sadness and hope, perfectly summarize how all of us here in the Holy Land are feeling, as we enter the holiday season.
With Hanukkah this year coming at the same time as Christmas, it is a wonderful reminder for us all — Christians and Jews — that God’s light continues to shine through the darkness, and He continues to perform wondrous miracles which we still witness, and pray for, each day.
While Hanukkah commemorates the miracle of oil that lasted for eight days, it also celebrates the miraculous victory of a small rag-tag group of Jews, known as the Maccabees, over a much more powerful enemy who was trying to destroy their faith. The story of Hanukkah is a story of survival. It’s a story of heroism. And it’s a story of miraculous victory — of light over darkness, freedom over oppression.
This season of light and miracles is also a poignant reminder that the people of Israel are now more than 400 days into a battle for our very survival. Like last year, we observe Hanukkah against a backdrop of war, suffering, and loss. And as we have for thousands of years, we continue to defend our land and our faith and trust that God will bless us with victory. With survival.
Over the next two days, I want to share with you eight incredible stories of Jewish heroes whose lives have inspired and encouraged me during this season of darkness. All eight of their stories bring light to the darkness, and the miracles they experienced bring me hope this Hanukkah. I pray they will bring you light and hope, too.
Meet Daniel Kopilov, a member of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and a modern-day Maccabee, who has fought bravely on both Israel’s northern border against Hezbollah and in Gaza. Daniel was born in Ukraine and made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) in 2019. After becoming an Israeli, Daniel enlisted in the IDF as a way to contribute to his adopted homeland. Shortly after the war broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, Daniel was sent into Gaza with his combat unit.
I first met Daniel about two months ago as he was preparing to leave a rehabilitation center supported by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. Daniel had been there for five months recovering from injuries sustained in a combat explosion in Gaza, which had claimed the lives of three of his closest friends. Daniel survived the blast but eventually lost his leg due to his injuries. Despite the hardships and loss, he looks ahead to the future with hopes of becoming a physiotherapist so he can help other soldiers who have been injured in the war.
As Daniel told me, “My friends did not die for nothing. I wasn’t injured for nothing. It was for my parents and all Israelis to be safe and to be free.”
Then there is the story of Tamar Yifrach, an 83-year-old Jewish woman originally from Morocco, who experienced God’s miraculous protection on October 7, just as the Maccabees and the Jewish people had more than 2,000 years ago.
Tamar was visiting her daughter’s family on Kibbutz Kfar Aza near the Gaza border when the sirens went off. The family rushed to their safe room where they huddled in horror as they heard the terrorists enter their home and begin shooting. Her grandson was struck by a bullet and wounded. Covered in his blood, the family remained in the safe room for 36 hours.
A woman of deep faith, Tamar reads daily from her Book of Psalms and keeps it with her always. But she didn’t remember taking her Torah into the safe room that day. In what Tamar describes as a miracle from God, she saw the Torah lying on the floor and began reading from Psalm 23. Minutes later, Israeli soldiers entered the house and rescued them.
Her story is an incredible reminder that the flame of faith can overcome darkness and that God’s protection is available to all who come to Him in faith and hope.
Another inspirational story is that of Keith Isaacson, head of security for the Eshkol region, whose bravery under terrorist fire, is nothing short of miraculous. The Eshkol region is just east of Gaza, and when hundreds of rockets began to fall on southern Israel and Hamas terrorists began to infiltrate the border, Keith did not run for safety.
Instead, like the brave Maccabees before him and many other Israelis that day, Keith ran toward the danger. He jumped into his Toyota truck and raced to the thick of the fighting. Thankfully, for Keith, the truck was an armored vehicle provided by The Fellowship, and because of that, he was able to survive a terrorist ambush and rescue countless innocent Israelis that day.
Today, Keith desires nothing more than to help people come back to the Eshkol region and resume their lives. Like the Maccabees thousands of years earlier, Keith has dedicated himself to fiercely and courageously defending his beloved homeland and fighting to retain our Jewish identity and faith.
Finally, let me share the remarkable story of 23-year-old Noa Kalash, who on the morning of the Oct. 7 attacks was attending the Nova music festival in the desert near Gaza. After “20 minutes of pure happiness,” the unthinkable happened. Terrorists rampaged through the festival, opening fire at everyone in their sights. Noa and a friend hid in a bush for eight hours, listening as terrorists continued to hunt for innocent Israelis to kill.
Miraculously, the terrorists bypassed their bush, and Noa and her friend were eventually rescued by the IDF. Two of her friends were killed that day, and a third, Romi Gonen, was taken hostage and remains in Gaza today. Since that horrific day, Noa has dedicated her life to shedding light on the darkness of that day by sharing her story and the stories of her friends. She fights for the redemption of those still held hostage in Gaza like her friend Romi.
During this holiday season, let the stories of Daniel, Tamar, Keith, and Noa encourage us and remind us of God’s goodness and His provision. Let their stories inspire you to continue sending your support and prayers to God’s holy people, and may Christians everywhere continue to light the way for our Jewish brothers and sisters. Together, like the Maccabees, we can overcome our enemies and conquer darkness with the light of faith.
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Yael Eckstein is President and CEO of The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, one of the world’s largest religious charitable organizations. The Jerusalem Post’s 2023 Humanitarian Award recipient and 4-time honoree on its 50 Most Influential Jews list, Yael is a Chicago-area native based in Israel with her husband and their four children.
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