By Nativia Bühler

Bat Yam, a coastal resort town just south of Tel Aviv, had never been so rocked by war. When Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel during the brief but intense battle in June, one of the huge warheads destroyed several large apartment buildings in Bat Yam, leaving scores of Israeli families homeless overnight. Among them was Ortal, a mother of three, who has since found temporary housing nearby in a community that knows well what it means to be uprooted.

Recently, Jannie Tolhoek of ICEJ AID was joined by Jacob and Hennie Keegstra, directors of ICEJ-Netherlands, for a visit with Ortal and her family They met her and two of the children, Harel and Chaya, plus her sister Sharona, now living just 700 meters from the ruins of their former home.

As they sat together, Ortal recounted that terrifying night in June when the rocket warning siren blared. Her teenage son Harel quickly scooped up their 14-year-old dog Bonnie, while Sharona recited the Shema Yisrael.

“As soon as we finished the prayer, the explosion came,” Ortal remembered.

The blast was devastating. One man standing in the doorway of the building was killed instantly. For many moments, Ortal and her children were left deaf and blind from the shock wave.

“I began touching the people around me to see if my teenagers were still alive,” Ortal recalled.

They were trapped under rubble for four hours before her husband and a neighbour pulled them free. Days later, the building collapsed completely.

“We came out alive only with the clothes we wore and our cell phones,” she said. “It was a miracle — as if God put a blanket of protection over us.”

For months, the five of them shared two hotel rooms while Ortal faced endless bureaucracy alone, as her husband had been called up for service. All this came on the backdrop of the still fresh grief within the family, as their nephew Ben, 23, was murdered by Hamas at the Nova festival on October 7. On top of this sorrow, Ortal’s mother passed away one week before the missile strike that destroyed their home.

“They had just finished the seven-day mourning period when the next tragedy struck,” Jannie later explained.

Even now, the family battles sleeplessness and flashbacks. Psychological counselling helps, but the scars run deep. Still, Sharona testifies to divine intervention.

“We have good reason to believe in God’s protection,” she told her ICEJ guests. “It is a miracle we survived, and I thank God daily for this.”

During the ICEJ visit, what touched Ortal most was the personal care. Jannie brought a gift bag with new towels, sheets, duvet covers, and gift cards for household essentials. Jacob and Hennie added handwritten cards from Dutch Christians who pray regularly for Israel. As Ortal read the words, tears streamed down her face.

“These cards are like arrows of love to my heart,” she said.

She embraced Jannie for a long time before they left. Later she wrote, “Knowing that there are people like you who think of us and care about us gives strength and brings comfort to the heart during such a difficult time.”

Afterwards, Jacob reflected on the impactful visit to this displaced family.

“We had read the reports and seen the pictures, but now Bat Yam has a face. We see what this war does to families”, he said.

“They have faced so many losses, and yet the husband is still serving the country”, added his wife Hennie. “This is a typical Israeli family with deep faith and belief in Israel’s future.”

Wanting to encourage them further, ICEJ invited the family to attend Israeli Guest Night during our recent Feast of Tabernacles celebration. Filled with anticipation, Ortal bought a new dress for the occasion.

“We only ever hear on the news what Israel does wrong and how much the world hates us”, Ortal told Jannie. “But tonight at the Feast, seeing thousands of Christians waving their nations’ flags in Jerusalem, it was so emotional. For the first time, I felt how many people truly love Israel.”

Through every visit, gift, and embrace, the Christian Embassy continues to remind Israelis that they are not alone, and that faith and friendship can outlast even the hardest storms.

To help more Israeli families recover from two years of war, please consider giving to our Israel in Crisis fund. Donate today at:  help.icej.org/crisis