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The Children are as Brave as Soldiers




What did eight children do at the Zikim base when the war broke out?

When Omri Alon informed his family members that they were going to celebrate Simchat Torah at an army base in the far south, not all the children were enthusiastic about the idea, but on Friday morning, eight of the ten children lined up alongside their parents and made the long way from the settlement of Kochav HaShachar to the Gaza border.

They were warmly received by the soldiers and fell in love with the place. When Tama asked what they should do if there was a Code Red siren, everyone burst out laughing. "Don't you see? The base is so close to Gaza. There is no way a rocket will fall here." That was a mistake.

On Shabbat morning, a little before 7 am, the sounds of "booms" were heard at the base. Many voices. Unusual voices. In an instant, the heroic soldiers jumped out of bed. They fought wearing pajamas and holding weapons whilst the children hid in a shelter together with their mother Michal. Time passed, and the booms went on and on. "A soldier from the command has been injured," the soldiers cried. "Mom, you're a nurse, you should go help her," the children urged their mother.

While Michal was treating the injured, another person entered the room. The devoted nurse thought he was coming to her aid, but no, he was a terrorist. He shot her and she was also injured. More gunshots were heard in the air and wounded people started to arrive in the shelter where the Alon children were hiding out. Everyone was waiting for ambulances to arrive and help the injured. "Stay with us!", the children called to the soldiers, "Don't fall asleep!" They are children of a nurse and knew that the soldiers had to stay awake until the ambulance came to take care of them. They must not lose consciousness. The children gave the wounded words of encouragement, singing prayers to them, saying Psalms and keeping calm, even though they too were afraid.

When the rescue teams arrived to evacuate the wounded to the hospital, Omri, their father, decided to leave the children at the base and accompany Michal to the hospital. He knew Michal needed him and that the children would take care of each other and the soldiers. After two hours the children were brought out of the base to safety.

Now the children of the Alon family from Kochav HaShachar understand why they were at the base on Simchat Torah: they were heroes themselves, and brave like soldiers.



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