Yelena, who grew up in Russia far from Judaism, recounts the October 7 attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz, her kidnapping to Gaza, the murder of her husband, and the uncertainty surrounding her son Sasha. In the aftermath, she describes how she and Sasha’s partner, Sapir, began keeping Shabbat, praying daily, and finding strength through Jewish faith, unity, and the refusal to be ashamed of being Jewish.

October 7Jewish identity