Faces of Iron: Tamar

Stand for Israel | July 17, 2024

Tamar, survivor of terror attack on October 7, 2023. — (Photo: Chen Schimmel)

“Ever since I can remember, I have believed in God.” This is how Tamar begins her own story of survival. An 83-year-old Jewish woman originally from Morocco, Tamar followed God’s call and made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) to raise her family in their biblical homeland.

Tamar was with her family—staying at her daughter’s house on Kibbutz Kfar Aza near the Gaza border—when Hamas terrorists attacked on October 7th.

“We all entered the protected room. We thought we wouldn’t be there long,” Tamar remembers.

It wasn’t long until terrorists entered the house. “My grandson held the handle of the door from the inside,” Tamar says. “The terrorists started shooting at the door. One of the bullets penetrated and wounded my grandson. My daughter tried to bandage his wound.”

From inside the room, terrified and covered in blood, the family huddled in terror as they heard what transpired outside in their community.

“We heard the shots. We smelled the fire. The terrorists burned down entire houses with their occupants inside. They killed women and babies and kidnapped children to Gaza.”

For 36 hours, Tamar and her family sheltered in the saferoom. “I was constantly holding the Book of Psalms and reading the verses,” she says. “God heard my prayers and saved us. Every time they tried to break down the door, God heard me. It’s a miracle.”

Tamar and her family witnessed a miracle that day. And in the days since, The Fellowship’s faithful friends have helped perform more miracles for the family—still living as refugees in far-off Tel Aviv as their house was destroyed—providing food and shelter and the basic necessities they need to live. And Tamar can stay strong even in these difficult times, because you are “like a ray of light in my life.”