Recovery for Kibbutz Nir Oz in Israel: Healing through Design
By: Nativia Samuelsen, ICEJ AID Administrator
“My hand is outstretched not to be alone.”
This is a powerful line from a poem written by Bracha, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz in Israel, about facing the loss of her husband and a son during the Hamas massacres of October 7, 2023.
We met Bracha on a recent visit to meet displaced residents of Nir Oz residents, which lost one-quarter of its 400 residents who were either killed or kidnapped on that horrific day. She also lost her home in the fires started by the terrorists and had nothing left. But Bracha survived because she was on a trip to Egypt on October 7.
“At least now, the rest of my children still have a mother,” she said.
Kibbutz Nir Oz in Israel – Survivors
After being moved to new, temporary housing, she enrolled in a special trauma therapy program for 52 surviving families from Kibbutz Nir Oz in Israel with the financial support of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ). The unique initiative combines practical support with trauma care.
Kibbutz Nir Oz was one of the hardest-hit communities in Israel along the Gaza border, and many hostages still held by Hamas are from that village. So their return to this small farming village and family community has yet to fully begin. But this ICEJ-sponsored project aims to assist these families who have endured unimaginable loss as they begin to heal and rebuild their lives in interim housing before finally making their way home.
ICEJ Steps in to Help
Nir Oz residents are currently living in a new neighborhood a half-hour away in Kiryat Gat. Through the generosity of ICEJ USA, the 52 families who chose to join this program were awarded a grant to purchase replacement household items destroyed on October 7. Then, each was paired with a social worker and a volunteer interior designer. These volunteers listen to their stories, understand their emotional needs, and help them select and place household items to make their new living space feel more like home. The program reminds these families that they are not alone in their recovery journey and that Christians are standing beside them.
“Our homes were warm and beautiful, but small. We are modest people. Our homes were built over the years. My house burnt completely. My husband and my son were murdered, and I felt so alone,” shared Bracha.
She welcomed us into her newly designed home, full of color and with her own, unique fingerprint. The entryway wall displayed two beautiful portraits of her husband and son that a talented friend drew. Frames with pictures of her family rested on a ledge below.
A Living Memory
“I wanted this to be a living memory, constantly changing and creative,” shared Bracha. “And I wanted everyone who comes here [to] find their place. My grandchildren love to play with and change out the pictures when they come. This home is still being built. I’d like to put up more shelves for more pictures.”
“In the beginning, the [temporary] houses felt like a cookie cutter of one another. It was terrible! Now suddenly, the homes have taken on the personality of the residents. I lost my house, but I wanted this to feel like a home. My miracle is that I wasn’t home on October 7. I have five children—four remain—and nine grandchildren.
“What I love most is color. When you come in, you feel that it is a home. I love to do planters with different succulents inside. I don’t know how to draw, but I love colors and I do intuitive drawing with color. It is a way for me to treat the trauma without medication.”
You can help other families in Israel like those at Kibbutz Nir Oz rebuild and recover. Give today to our Israel in Crisis fund at: help.icejusa.org/crisis
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