"My Husband Shouted 'Shema Yisrael', I Was Praying for Safe Travels": Yona Asraf on the Miracle of Survival from the Inferno

It was six in the morning when Yona and Ro'i Asraf arrived at the parking lot of the "Nova" party in Kibbutz Re'im. The number of cars indicated many participants, and, running late, they planned to get in and join the crowd of dancers. Just then, Ro'i's friend, Netanel, who was traveling with them, found a milk carton on the ground next to the car. He picked it up and placed it on the car. "This way, we'll find the car easily when we leave," he said, and everyone burst into laughter, not knowing that this milk carton would play a part in saving their lives.

They planned to arrive earlier, intending to drink alcohol, and by this hour, they should have already been drunk. In the end, they arrived just minutes before the shooting began, which helped them remain alert and sober, aiding in their escape and survival.

Yona, a medical secretary, and Ro'i, a hairstylist, live in Jerusalem and are parents to two young daughters. Recently, their videos as survivors have gone viral online, receiving hundreds of thousands of views, as has their spiritual strengthening. Every time Yona recalls the events, she is moved anew.

"We entered, everyone was dancing and happy, an indescribable atmosphere. Two minutes later, the interceptions began. Ro'i took out the camera and saw two black clouds and another flash of light interception and realized they were rockets. Being originally from Be'er Sheva, I know intercepts. His friend, however, was excited, thinking they were fireworks. Ro'i, for some reason, told me, 'Honey, this is our last video.' I told him not to speak that way because the Creator is with us, though I was thinking it wasn't like Ro'i to say such a thing, but we both had a bad feeling we couldn't ignore. Meanwhile, we understood something bad was indeed happening.

"Within 30 seconds, the music stopped, and we started hearing the barrage, which was unusual. I started to panic, fearing the Iron Dome couldn't handle it all, and then I heard the impacts. The atmosphere was truly distressing, and police officers announced to the crowd, instructing us to lie on the ground and place hands on our heads. At that moment, Ro'i, typically someone who stays to help and see what's happening and not quick to flee, acted out of character. He was not at all complacent and said, 'Honey, keep eye contact with me all the way; we're running to the car right now, going back to our daughters.' He simply saw our two daughters in front of his eyes. Then he grabbed my hand, and we ran to the entrance. At one point, I pulled him in another direction, remembering my jacket I had left when we entered. Just then, an emergency exit opened, and right there was the minibus I remembered we parked next to, and we saw the milk carton and quickly found the car.

"As I was running, I suddenly noticed Ro'i wasn't by my side... and saw him stopped by a car, trying to wake a driver he noticed was asleep, telling him the party was over and to drive away. After everything was over, Ro'i and I remembered him and constantly wondered what happened to him and if he managed to get out alive. Five days later, Ro'i called me crying; I immediately thought there was more bad news. Then he asked if I remembered the guy he tried to wake, and excitedly told me he was alive and had just sent him an emotional recording thanking him and saying because of him, he was saved, a father of three children. The terrorists chased him, but he managed to escape and even save two more lives.

"It later turned out that as Ro'i paused to wake and save him, a police vehicle blocked the road towards Be'eri. In retrospect, anyone who managed to take the left turn before us was either killed or wounded, as the terrorists were already there. And we were driving – Ro'i with Waze, and I with the prayer for safe travels, and as we were driving, Waze instructed us to make a U-turn. Five vehicles in front of us made the U-turn, and they were the first to encounter the terrorists and got shot. Up to now, Ro'i can't explain why, but he decided not to listen to Waze, against logic, and continued straight. I decided not to argue with him. I lifted my eyes from the prayer, and from the right side of the field, two open trucks raced towards the road. Each truck carried 10-15 people dressed in military uniforms, with headbands and weapons aimed at us, and I looked at Ro'i and asked if they were soldiers. Netanel shouted from the back 'Ro'i, speed up, terrorists are shooting at us,' and they began to spray bullets at us.

"At that stage, I froze. Ro'i hit the gas hard, lowered my head, crouched, and started shouting 'Shema Yisrael' and then all of 'Shir LaMa'alot,' with a mighty shout that he still can't comprehend where it came from. In contrast, I froze. I quietly said 'Shema Yisrael.' Ro'i lifted his head slightly to see where he was driving and saw they were simply shooting at us, with bullets whistling over us, none hitting us. The terrorists moved onto the road, and we kept hearing the gunfire bursts, but it was no longer aimed at us, but at anyone approaching as they drove towards the party.

"We called the police, and also Ro'i's younger brother, Idan, who was at the party, and we simply screamed for him to run as there were two groups of terrorists on the way, and we started calling friends. Idan went to the police and reported it to them, and they tried to calm him, wanted to give him water, thinking he was perhaps high. Unfortunately, he didn't finish the sentence before they realized he was telling the truth...he dropped everything and started running. He was miraculously saved as he lost his car keys, which delayed him, and he didn’t drive towards Be'eri, as the road was already blocked.

"At this point, we still didn't understand the magnitude of the event. We passed the military base 'Urim' and considered entering because what could be more protected? Ro'i slowed for a moment because logic suggested entering, but again, another internal voice guided us, and Ro'i decided not to stop and suddenly stepped on the gas. It turned out, in hindsight, had we stopped there, we would have been slaughtered.

"From there, we drove back to Jerusalem, passed through Be'er Sheva, and drove past a row of villas. We were about to enter when suddenly a missile, which almost hit us, fell on a house, and smoke filled the air. Ro'i didn't drop below 220 km/h the entire way, ran red lights, and didn’t take his foot off the gas until we reached home. On the way, we saw police on the side of the road with doors open, alert.

"By 10:00 a.m., we already saw pictures Hamas had published of our friend Elia who was kidnapped, and two hours later another friend, Elkana Buchbut, who was also kidnapped. That day we couldn't comprehend or believe the miracle that happened to us. How every little thing was precise and saved us. And what would have happened if... Idan was saved too. I won’t forget the words he said when he talked to us on the phone after four and a half hours of intense running, 'I don’t know who ran in me, it wasn’t me.'

"It Moves Me to See Ro'i with Tattoos and a Black Kippah"

Since that Shabbat that changed their lives, Yona and Ro'i have been going through a deep and ongoing experience of contemplation on the privilege of receiving their lives as a gift. Since then, they decided to keep Shabbat, observe family purity, modesty, and more. "For us, the decision to keep Shabbat was self-evident; we felt it was the right thing to do, there was no discussion about it at all. We asked Hashem to give us the strength to rise above all challenges and truly succeed in keeping it, as it means foregoing all we were accustomed to: traveling, outings, going to the sea and pool. And it’s amazing. Until today, during the week, I didn’t have the energy to do things or desire to cook and clean, suddenly I have a new desire. I have Shabbat with which I disconnect from everything, and it brings us light, heals, and returns us to sanity."

"Family purity, we’ve spoken a bit about it before the event, but afterward, there was no doubt left that this is what we want. And modesty too. I remember two weeks after that Shabbat, I opened the closet and saw tank tops I always loved to wear, and felt I couldn’t wear them anymore, wanting to strive for modesty. It’s something from inside me that can’t be explained. I simply took them all and threw them away. I also accepted head coverings on Shabbat. When I wear the covering and a long, modest dress, I feel the most beautiful in the world. Slowly, it’s a deep and gradual process. We don’t care what people say, we do only what feels right to us and let things settle."

How do you feel about Ro'i's spiritual strengthening?

"It moves me to see my husband with tattoos and a black kippah on his head. I always pushed him to go at least on Yom Kippur to the synagogue, but he was embarrassed, saying he felt like an odd bird because of the tattoos. I always told him there's nothing to be ashamed of, especially now."

Since the couple's story was published, they keep receiving emotional responses from people who have strengthened because of them. Along with the strengthening, Yona shares that Ro'i faces a complex question directly related to his profession as a barber and the family's livelihood.

"Ro'i has a barber shop in Tel Aviv for men and women, which is our main income, and something inside tells him there’s no blessing in touching a woman's head. This question has occupied him a lot lately; even before the party, he would tell me he feels like he’s not seeing the fruits of what he’s doing because he touches a woman's head, and now it’s a real crossroads. He went to consult Rabbi Zamir Cohen because he’s currently facing significant doubts about it. The Rabbi suggested either bringing a female barber and making a partition between men and women or turning it into a men's barbershop, which is likely what he will do."

Have you returned to yourselves since then?

"The truth is, in the first days, it was hard; it’s beyond control, there are still nightmares, but faith is what keeps us sane. Because if not for faith, then what? We have friends who, from this place, have actually lost faith; they are angry with Hashem and ask where He was at that moment. I tell myself these are the judgments of Heaven, beyond intellectual comprehension. These are things I cannot attempt to understand, even though the loss is painful to us, but we understand nothing happens by chance. Those who were killed are in the highest place, under the Throne of Glory, as those who died for the sanctification of Hashem's name.

"Two days after the event, I cried so much and said, 'Hashem, did this have to happen for us to wake up? For us to love? Why does something so terrible have to happen for us to be united?' she describes and cries. "This is the will of Hashem, that the people of Israel be united, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' And I really hope their death is not in vain, that this unity remains, not just for now, that we take it forward, that everyone does their inner work, and that we all merit personal redemption.

"From that day, I understood everything is vanity, and how much we need to focus on the main thing and not on the trivial. Whether it’s anger, nerves, and hatred we sometimes feel towards those around us, we need to understand everything is precise, to strengthen and give thanks to Hashem. To be people of love, just to love."

Yona Asraf was a guest on Moran Kurs' show, "Not Taken for Granted." The full interview will be published soon