Hamas attack survivor stops in Folsom to tell his story – Folsom Times

On October 7 last year, many of us watched from the other side of the world as once peaceful cities in Israel were attacked by Hamas. On Thursday evening, a man who witnessed the October 7 attacks stood before a very focused audience at the Folsom Community Center to tell his firsthand story of what he experienced on Kibbutz Be’eri near the Gaza Strip when the attacks began.

Additional security measures were taken Thursday evening at the Folsom Community Center next to City Hall to ensure the safety of speaker and survivor IIya Tarshansky and the many residents from Folsom and surrounding areas who attended the special event. The evening was hosted by the Folsom and El Dorado Hills Jewish Community Center and it was reported that there were no concerns or disturbances prior to the presentation, where everyone listened intently as Tarshanksy recounted the events of that day and those that followed house and burned it down, they murdered his son and kidnapped his daughter.

The details Tarshanksy shared reflected the many shared across media platforms since the day of the attacks. However, when such details are shared in person on a forum like this, it quickly becomes a packed room so quiet you can hear a pin drop.

“It’s not a pleasant evening. It’s a very terrible story, but it needs to be shared. “It’s important for people to hear it from someone who has experienced it firsthand,” Rabbi Yossi Grossbaum of the Chabad Jewish Community Center told media and others about the event, which he was instrumental in planning.

Tarshansky told guests how he and his family hid in a safe room at Kibbutz Be’eri along with Lior, his 15-year-old son and his 13-year-old daughter Gali. Soon after, their house was set on fire and they were forced to jump out of a nearby window to escape from the attackers. He later learned that Lior was killed. His daughter was captured and held hostage and held captive. Fortunately, she was released, but it took more than a month. During much of this time, Tarshanksy remained lodged with the children’s mother in a hotel near the Dead Sea and for a time did not know the whereabouts or fate of her children, a testimony common to any parent or anyone who endures had to, was heartbreaking.

On Thursday evening, it wasn’t just Tarhsansky’s words that created clear images in the minds of every attentive listener, during his presentation he also showed a series of photos of his family on the big screen as well as videos. He shared pictures showing times of a normal family life. He also shared pictures of the aftermath. While many have seen similar images in news coverage, it is much more telling when the images were shared by the person who once called such devastation home.

“It’s a very small community. We live like a family, so I know everyone,” he said. “It’s a very big loss for me,” said Tarshansky, who said it was important to share his story and pictures so others can see what happened from the inside. “You should know what happened. “This happened,” he quotes, still managing to keep a smile on his face during his presentation, conversations with residents and the media on Thursday evening.

Tarshanksy was reunited with his daughter on November 13, more than a month after the first attack. Today she goes back to school and is “resilient,” getting stronger every day and “open to the world, despite everything she’s been through.” I’m inspired by her,” he shared. Tarshansky also shared that it appears less than seven months have passed since his son was killed. He shared Thursday night that traveling and talking about his experiences with others helps him through everything he’s faced, including the grief of so many people he knew were killed and what once destroyed his community .

“For me, being outside Israel is therapeutic. It is very difficult for me to be in Israel, in my community, because it just reminds me of what I have lost,” he said.

After his speaking tour, Tarshansky will return to his family, who now live in Tel Aviv. He hopes his trip to the United States and discussions with groups like those in Folsom on Thursday will give people the opportunity to get a first-hand account of everything that happened at Kibbutz Be’eri and his family that day of the attacks and the aftermath What impact it will have on them and so many others. With his lectures he wants to help others listen to one another.

“We are honored to host Ilya and are so happy that he agreed to come to Folsom in person to tell his story,” Grossbaum said. “With all the confusing news, it is important for our communities to hear the firsthand account from someone who personally experienced the horrors of October 7th.”

For many years, Chabad’s mission is to actively promote a greater awareness of the concepts of education, morality and decency among all people in the United States and around the world. The Folsom Center, which serves Folsom, El Dorado Hills and the surrounding region, was founded in 2007 to provide a variety of educational and social programs and has successfully impacted our community in many positive ways. There are other Chabad centers in and around the greater Sacramento region, as well as thousands of centers around the world.

“I think one of the greatest things we are accomplishing here tonight is to let Ilya and all the other people who have been victims of these attacks know that they are not alone and that there are people around the world who are praying for them and supports them. It’s important that this story is told,” Grossbaum said.