A Hanukkah Miracle Amidst Ruins

It happened more than a month after the horrific massacre on Simchat Torah. Yisrael Chassid, a spokesman for ZAKA, visited southern kibbutzim with other volunteers for specific tasks. There, he encountered an astounding surprise: a silver menorah found in the most destroyed house in Kibbutz Nir Oz, extracted from debris after a direct missile strike.

Chassid did not realize at that moment that the family of the homeowner had only recently discovered their mother was no longer alive, and that the lack of any keepsake was particularly hard for them.

The Miraculous Menorah

Chassid recalls those unforgettable moments: "It was relatively late, more than a month after the massacre, and after the last of the victims were laid to rest," he explains. "As ZAKA, we learned our role didn't end with burying the murdered but included additional duties in kibbutzim homes in the south, such as confirming deaths of those missing and handling last-minute findings there. These tasks are not simple, but we as volunteers all understood our duty in those moments."

While moving between homes carrying out their tasks, they entered Shifra Noy's house by accident. "It was one of the homes located on the first row to the fence, and we entered it by mistake, as our task was in another house," he explains.

"We were confronted with extremely severe sights. The house was totally destroyed and entirely burned, with all walls collapsed and contents either burnt or melted – even the bomb shelter's door melted due to the intense heat. Nothing was left, until we suddenly found the menorah among the ruins. It was so unexpected that it filled us with great emotion," he explains.

"I was with six other volunteers, and we sat around the menorah like children in a circle," he describes. "We started talking about what it symbolizes to us and how it shines. Then, I photographed the menorah and posted it online, aiming to connect others with this moving sight – a menorah that survived the inferno."

But the story goes on. "A few days later, a woman named Dorit contacted ZAKA's media department," Chassid notes. "She asked for 'Yisrael’s phone number' and introduced herself to me as 'Dorit, Shifra’s daughter.' I honestly didn’t remember who she was at first – we dealt with so many severe cases. But then she reminded me, 'You found my mom’s menorah in Nir Oz. I’d love to have it.'"

Chassid notes that this conversation moved him to tears. "Dorit shared how the whole house was on fire – even her mom's cooking pots, which she loved so much, melted. Nothing was left, and suddenly she discovered the menorah survived. She also told me about her mother, an extraordinary woman, and astonishingly, the missile hit the wall where the menorah leaned. It received the highest heat level and theoretically, nothing should’ve survived, yet the menorah did."

A Light of Hope

"I'm overwhelmed by the survival of my mom's menorah," notes Dorit, Shifra Noy's daughter, a year later and the emotion is still evident in her voice. "The fact the house burned completely is not surprising, with its wooden and plaster construction. My mom loved crafts and sewed many dolls to decorate the house, all of which burnt."

"In her youth, mom worked as a caregiver in kindergartens with three-to-four-year-olds. In recent years, she worked in laundry and the kibbutz community clothing storage, focusing on clothing repairs, given her skilled hands, and even at seventy, she loved to keep working and contributing. She didn’t understand the concept of 'missing work,' and would rise daily at five to work without considering any alternative."

Dorit, a Ramat Gan resident, awoke on Simchat Torah to the sound of sirens, quickly contacting her mother, who mentioned ongoing sirens and claims of infiltrated terrorists on the kibbutz WhatsApp. "That morning, she also spoke to my daughter and my aunt," Dorit notes. "I continued messaging her, and in one message, she wrote 'very scary,' but even then, I didn't recognize the extent of the horror. I'd been in the kibbutz before during sirens. I didn’t think it was different."

Shifra Noy HY

Was your mom alone at home at the time?

"Yes, she lived alone. Though my sister visited the night before and took some of her cooking. Mom always loved to cook for us. At nine in the evening, my sister left – she was the last to see mom before the horror began a few hours later."

According to Dorit, from 9:15 AM, her mother stopped responding to calls and messages. However, 12 days after Simchat Torah, the army informed them she was murdered, confirmed through identification.

"It was a devastating message because until then, mom was missing, and we hoped she was kidnapped and would return home," Dorit states. "The realization mom was gone was very difficult, partly because we had no keepsake from her. Only a small thimble collection she collected worldwide, part of which survived, now joined by the menorah."

The menorah, says Dorit, is much more than an object. "Chanukah was mom's festival. She loved to cook, making wonderful sufganiyot. I’d visit with my twins, born on Chanukah, and our best memories are from this holiday. It's no surprise that last year, as Chanukah approached, the longing was so strong. I didn't know how to handle it, then suddenly the menorah returned to us. It was clear I'd light it for Chanukah, and indeed, we lit it in our living room, then at my children’s other grandmother, and at the Hostages' Square."

Does this light give you strength?

"It’s hard to say it gives strength, as we’re still coping. Just yesterday, I attended the funeral of Hannah Katzir, who survived captivity and died of heartbreak. And a month ago, we buried my father, also a Nir Oz resident, killed in the massacre but temporarily interred elsewhere. The challenges persist daily, but having something of mom is huge for me, and the miraculous way it came to us is no less significant."