"Amidst All the Pain and Challenges, I Started to Sing"

Nothing could prepare Omri Cohen, the security officer of Neve, for what he was about to experience on Simchat Torah. Like everyone, he couldn't foresee the horrific surprise attack carried out by the murderous terrorist organization. There was nothing that prepared him to, alongside his emergency team of only seven armed individuals, provide assistance to many injured people from other nearby settlements.

"I remember the phone call I received on the morning of Simchat Torah, where it was made very clear in the simplest words that war had broken out. My superior told me several times: 'Everything you have experienced until now is nothing; we have reached something much greater.' He also mentioned the Yom Kippur War several times during the conversation. It's not that I comprehended the significance, but I well understood that I needed to be at the highest state of readiness."

The Realization: A Life-Threatening Danger

The settlement Neve, located in the Hevel Shalom area, was established about 13 years ago, initially intended for families evacuated from their homes in Gush Katif as part of the disengagement plan. Today, approximately 150 families live there, and although it is not officially considered part of the 'Gaza envelope', it is very close to the area and was naturally in great danger on the morning of Simchat Torah.

"The first thing I did when I realized the situation was to go outside and close the settlement gates," Omri describes, "Simultaneously, I alerted our emergency team, which, as mentioned, was very limited, although now, due to the war, there are plans to expand it at least threefold and add many more armed individuals."

According to him, their task was complex during that time. "I closely heard that the terrorists were in all the moshavim and kibbutzim around us, while I knew there were many people in our synagogue who were disconnected from any communication and continued praying. There was a need to run to them and send them home. Additionally, we had to ensure all residents locked themselves in secure rooms and also guard the settlement against the massive numbers of terrorists that were just a few kilometers away and could arrive at any moment."

Omri notes they worked very intensively, seeing residents who were called by the army, some serving in regular duty and some in reserves, asking to leave the settlement. "Initially, we allowed them to leave, only to find out that everyone who left encountered gunfire on the roads. At that moment, I made a clear decision: no one leaves the settlement, as it's a life-threatening situation."

Two Months of Exile

While the residents of Neve were confined in secure rooms, disconnected from electricity and cellular communication, Omri received updates that in nearby settlements – Kerem Shalom and Pri Gan, there were many casualties requiring assistance. At that stage, he realized the only safe place to provide help would be in his moshav, and they needed to prepare for this.

"In this matter, we had great *siyata dishmaya*," he recounts, "because already in the morning hours, a paramedic with an ambulance arrived at our settlement to treat a Thai worker in the greenhouses injured by rocket fire. Since there were countless ongoing alerts, he couldn't leave and thus stayed with us, settling in the synagogue that had been cleared of worshippers. From that moment, the place became a kind of evacuation point for the injured from neighboring settlements, with all medical personnel from our settlement joining the paramedic."

"We treated dozens of injured, some severely and in complex situations, provided them with initial treatment on the ground, but we couldn't evacuate them. Only after a few hours did an IDF helicopter arrive to evacuate the injured, while we continually guarded the settlement, not knowing from where the terrorists might break in, as it was clear they were in the vicinity."

In retrospect, Omri notes that they realized they had a great miracle. "It turns out there was a terrorist cell whose original plan was to attack the entire Hanutsa settlements area, including our settlement. In their belongings were found maps of the settlements, and they planned to infiltrate them and continue escaping toward Egypt. With *siyata dishmaya*, the army neutralized them before they could execute their plan."

But the alertness never ceased. Omri mentions that as the security officer, he continued to be on high alert along with the army forces remaining in the moshav. Only by Monday were residents allowed to evacuate their homes and were relocated as a large group to a hotel in Jerusalem in secured convoys traveling through bypass roads. "Until about a week ago, the entire settlement was at the hotel, and now residents are starting to return home," he informs.

Are you happy about this or concerned regarding the responsibility?

"There's certainly nothing more joyful than seeing the residents return, especially since throughout the entire period, I remained in the moshav as part of my duty, while my family was at the hotel and we met only on *Shabbat*. It was very complex and not simple. But naturally, there's the concern about what will happen once they return because it's not calm here at all, there are alerts, and a significant trauma remains following what happened when the war broke out."

To Sing and Find Solace

But the most surprising part of Omri's story is that amidst all the actions to safeguard and secure the settlement, he found time to continue engaging in music – a field he has loved for years.

"Music was a central part of my life long before I was appointed as the security officer," he says, "Even after taking on the role, I continued writing and singing songs; I never felt there was a conflict between the two. Whenever people asked how I managed, I explained that music comes from a deep internal place, and it is bigger and stronger than me. Even in these days of war, I feel that music is an inseparable part of me, yet when people around me asked: 'Write, write,' I couldn't. Something inside of me was held back that I couldn't release. Only recently have I felt capable of gradually returning to this field as before. This is also why I'm releasing a new single these days called 'Reflected'."

Did you write the song because of the situation and the fighting?

"Actually, no. It's a song that was originally supposed to be released on October 8, but naturally, once the war broke out, everything was postponed. The amazing thing here is that the song's lyrics were not written in connection to what we are experiencing today, but when I hear it these days, it takes on a different and chilling meaning. For instance, one line I wrote goes, 'Take another moment to cope, the easiest thing is to be scared and give up all this good.' I obviously meant entirely different topics, but I believe people who hear these words now will feel how it strengthens them, because to emerge strong from this war, we must remember the good that will come afterward, and as believers, know that good is always expected, for this is the purpose of Hashem – to bring us only good into the world. So let's try to cope, and not give up."

Omri also notes that if we only look more deeply, even within the difficult situation, before reaching the finish line, we can see the light and the good. "Since the war started, there has been such a special unity among the people of Israel, and as displaced individuals, we saw the great mobilization of all the people around us and the amounts of love and support we received. These are things that weren't there before, and we can't ignore this goodness."

Do you think people are ready and able to listen to music in times like these?

"I believe they need music even more than on regular days, because music is very comforting and encouraging. Personally, I can attest that especially in the hardest times I experienced over the past weeks, music was what gave me strength. If even one person tells me they found some solace in the song or were uplifted by it, I will feel that, at least for me, this is a great victory."