You Give Him Strength
The Fellowship | November 29, 2023
“Suddenly, I heard a whistle. I understood that I had about three seconds. I thought that these might be my last seconds alive.”
That’s Amit, a 21-year-old soldier, who recently completed his military service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). In this moment, he was on the Israel-Lebanon border as a reserve combat soldier fighting for Israel’s very existence after Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack.
He’d finished his army service just two months prior to October 7. And while he had plans to travel afterward, when he heard the news of the terrible attack, there was no question—he was going to serve his country. “It was clear that our small country is facing one of the most horrible times, and I’m going to be there to defend it,” he recalls.
Then the missile flew past him. In those seconds he thought he was going to die. Stationed in the north, which had been tense ever since the start of the war, he was positioned across from a Lebanese village where Hezbollah terrorist squads were hiding and waiting for the opportunity to hit IDF soldiers.
“I didn’t hear a boom. I raised my head and saw that the missile fell several yards away. I checked myself and saw that my arms and legs were okay. I was covered in blood, but I ran to the point where my command was settled.”
‘I Was Shaking’
Since Amit is an experienced soldier, he knew to immediately take off his flak jacket and the team treated him.
“I didn’t feel the left half of my face,” Amit explains. “After the first shock passed, I started to feel a lot of pain.” In total, he lay injured for six hours. As long as the battle lasted, the paramedics didn’t want to move him for fear they might be hit. So they waited. “Each time I heard a whistle I was shaking,” he says.
Finally, they transferred him to the hospital. And that’s when, back home, his mother received news he was hurt.
“The way to the hospital was the longest trip I ever had,” she recalls. The doctor treating Amit reassured his mother that her son would survive despite needing surgery. But she still worried. In fact, she worried for her son the moment she knew he was going to join the reserves and fight for the country. But she also knew of his dedication to protecting the homeland, and she is extremely proud of him.
Protecting Israel Together
“Even if I knew that this would happen, I would do it again,” says Amit, and he smiles as he says this. “As soon as I get better, I want to get back to the IDF and help. This is our country, and we are here to protect it. I know that there are so many people who are doing so many good things during these difficult days, and the entire country is mobilized to win this war.”
The Fellowship’s support has made all the difference. “I want to give a huge thank you to all those people who provide assistance. This means so much to us on the frontline. Each package that we receive, and each donation of equipment raises our morale and gives us strength and motivation to continue,” says Amit.
“From me, and from the other parents of all those soldiers who receive The Fellowship’s assistance, I want to say a huge thank you to the donors who make this important project possible,” says Amit’s mother. “My husband and I have barely worked during this past month, so our income is a bit low. Your assistance will help us purchase the food and the medication that we need for Amit.”
She adds: “The Fellowship is doing extremely important work. Thank you for helping us and for standing with Israel during these extremely difficult times.”