HOME AT LAST

In the final chapter of a national tragedy, some 700 personnel participated – including roughly 400 combat soldiers – in ‘Operation Brave Heart’ – bringing home the last hostage from Gaza.

By Jonathan Feldstein

Ran Gvili embodied heroism until his last moments. Despite awaiting shoulder surgery which had him on disability from his job as a police officer in Israel, immediately following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, he rushed to defend and protect others during the assault, saving numerous lives. He was killed in action, and his body was kidnapped along with 250 others into Gaza. Earlier this month, he became the last hostage to be brought out of Gaza after 843 excruciating days for his family, friends and the people of Israel. That he rushed into action immediately, he has been described as “the first in and the last out.” Yet his return, something that many in Israel thought might be an impossibility, underscored Israel’s unwavering commitment to the principle of leaving no one behind — whether living or fallen.

His repatriation, codenamed “Operation Brave Heart”, marked a symbolic closing of one of the darkest chapters in modern Israel that began on that brutal day. It was the end of a mission accepted by hundreds of thousands of Israeli soldiers, to free all the hostages: Israelis, foreign nationals from over two dozen countries, Jews and non-Jews alike.

The operation itself was a masterpiece of military precision and moral resolve. Colonel Golan Vach, commander of the IDF’s elite Pladot unit, led the effort. He is a seasoned combat veteran and search-and-rescue expert inside Israel, and leading Israel’s rescue operations following many international disasters ranging from Florida to Haiti, Nepal, the Philippines, Turkey, and more. Col. Vach was severely injured in a 2024 Gaza tunnel collapse. In a recent conversation, he describes his near-death experience as a personal miracle: buried under tons of earth, an excavator (operated by one of his own men) struck his helmet, but created an air pocket that saved him. He shared how while at the moment he thought he was going to die, but after being saved, he initially planned to retire. Then he returned to active duty and was called upon lead this mission.

**Military Masterpiece**. A seasoned combat veteran and search-and-rescue expert, Colonel Golan Vach, commander of the IDF’s elite Pladot unit, led the recovery mission.

Vach described the intelligence which eventually pinpointed Gvili’s body in an old cemetery in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood of Gaza City — an area with deep historical resonance. Locals there trace ancestry to the Mamluks, who defeated Christian forces centuries ago. Vach described how, for them, October 7 represented a twisted continuation of that triumph over both Jews and Christians, and an element of ongoing persecution of Christians in Gaza. Ironically, the cemetery had become a mass burial site for over 1,000 Hamas operatives and others since the war began, making the location seem improbable to find an Israeli hostage. He explains that it was likely chosen by terrorists deliberately, to ensure Gvili’s body would never be found.

Planning the operation spanned months. Earlier IDF combat operations had unknowingly operated atop the very site, destroying nearby terrorist infrastructure without realizing Gvili lay beneath. When fresh intelligence from a captured Islamic Jihad terrorist elevated the cemetery from lowest-probability to the sole viable lead, preparations intensified. The challenge was immense: locate one specific body among hundreds in layered graves, under hostile conditions. The general to whom Vach reported, referred to the operation as being a single bullet in the chamber: no other viable leads to find Gvili’s body, so it had to be a success.

Approximately 700 personnel participated, including roughly 400 combat soldiers providing multi-layered security for Vach’s team. During this time, four terrorists attempting an RPG attack were neutralized, underscoring that they were operating in a war zone where extra precautions needed to be taken. The Pladot unit —composed of highly experienced reservists skilled in “gentle” heavy machinery operations — excavated precisely mapped strips of the cemetery. Operators, trained to handle delicate urban demolitions and body recoveries without unnecessary destruction, worked methodically. After two days of careful digging amid Gaza’s punishing sun, Gvili’s remains were located early in the process —something many attributed to divine intervention, sparing the team prolonged exposure to decomposing bodies.

**Sacred Salvation**. Surrounding the body of Ran Gvilli, Israel fulfills a core tenet of its military doctrine and national ethos of “No one left behind” – a binding commitment to never abandon soldiers or citizens, whether alive or deceased, in enemy territory.

Identification occurred promptly via dental X-rays in a field setup with a team of dentists experienced in forensics. The moment of confirmation triggered a spontaneous and emotional gathering: hundreds of soldiers converged around the simple stretcher on which Gvili’s body lay, draped in the Israeli flag. Secular and religious soldiers alike sang the Hebrew song most known as a complete expression of faith, “Ani Ma’amin” (“I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah”) and other traditional songs, weeping, and embracing. The scene captured profound national catharsis — joy at fulfilling a sacred duty, grief for the cost, and affirmation of shared Jewish identity.

**Raised from the Rubble**. After a heroic recovery mission, comrades stand around honoring the remains of Col. Golan Vach, the last hostage to leave Gaza.

Before the return of Gvili’s body to Israel, the team respectfully reburied the several hundred Palestinian Arab bodies which had been exhumed. That was also part of the operation. The fact that they were reburied exactly where they had been disinterred showed the careful respect for the dead, even dead terrorists, and emphasized Jewish sanctity for human remains. Rabbis from the IDF’s search and rescue unit ensured sensitivity per Jewish law throughout. This reflected core IDF values:

cherishing life
upholding human dignity even toward adversaries, and
rejecting hatred as a motivating force.

Throughout the conversation, Vach and another IDF veteran, Shahak, referred to seeing God’s hand in many areas of this operation, and the war in general. They referred to many “coincidences” which were really Divine Appointments. In a fascinating and completely unscripted part of the conversation, Vach described how the honor of carrying Ran Gvili’s remains paralleled Moses and the Jewish people bringing Joseph’s remains out of Egypt, and the unique way in which God honored that.

**Homeward Bound**. The last photo taken at the conclusion of Operation Brave Heart as described by Col. Golan Vach. (Photo: Col. Golan Vach)

Shahak, a longtime combat veteran, described the moral rarity of endangering one’s soldiers to honor enemy dead, contrasting it with other militaries, noting bluntly that there is no army in the world that would do this. As a point person coordinating with Genesis 123 Foundation for providing support and encouragement for soldiers, he praised the enduring support from Christians worldwide as evidence that this is a shared struggle of Judeo-Christian civilization against darkness.

The conversation closed with reflections on resilience, faith, and unity. After 28 months of war, the recovery of Ron Gvili offered partial closure while reinforcing Israel’s resolve. As Colonel Vach shared the last photo taken at the end of the operation: the ruined landscape of Shuja’iyya behind Gvili’s flag-draped coffin symbolized the terrorists’ self-inflicted destruction — and the enduring light carried forward by those who risk everything to bring their brothers home.

Footage from the IDF’s brave mission to recover murdered hostage of Hamas Ran Gvili from Gaza.

Ran Gvili’s body was kidnapped on October 7 along with 250 others, dead and alive. His was the 250^th body to be checked until confirmation of his remains being recovered were made. Accordingly, it’s no “coincidence” that in Hebrew gematria, the numerical value of the letters that spell his name, Ran (רן), is precisely 250. It’s just another sign that even in the darkest times, God’s hand is ever-present.

About the writer:

Jonathan Feldstein - President of the US based non-profit Genesis123 Foundation whose mission is to build bridges between Jews and Christians – is a freelance writer whose articles appear in The Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, Townhall, NorthJersey.com, Algemeiner Journal, The Jewish Press, major Christian websites and more.

‘

Follow the full conversation with Col. Vach and Shahak on the “Inspiration from Zion” podcast HERE.

While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

BRAVE HEART

A fulfillment of a sacred vow – to bring them all home

By Rolene Marks

“Blessed are You, L-rd our G‑d, King of the Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this occasion.”

There were times when we wondered if it would ever happen. Would they all be returned home? For 843 days, we all hoped, prayed, shook the heavens, and bargained with the Almighty and anyone in power. We were brought to our knees, pleading and breathed the fire of our relentless fight for our brothers and sisters. On 7 October, 251 men, women and children including whole families were taken hostage when Hamas infiltrated southern Israel, leaving a trail of atrocities in their wake. Since 2014, Hamas had held the remains of two soldiers, Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul who fell during Operation Protective Edge. Two civilians, Avera Mengistu and Hisham Al Sayed, were also still captive. Hisham and Avera would be returned to the grateful embrace of their families during the ceasefire deal of January 2025 and the remains of Goldin and Shaul would be returned, months apart, for a dignified burial.

After 843 days, only one remained – Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili. He was as his superhero mother Talik said, the first one in and the last one out. For 843 days, Talik, Itzik, Shira and Omer fought for their son and brother Ran like the Maccabees themselves. With superhuman strength and a tenacity that is awe inspiring, they persevered with all their might until their beloved son, a hero of Israel was returned.

It is almost impossible to describe what we are feeling in Israel. In the last two years we have learnt that it is possible to walk alongside our grief, it is possible to carry both resilience and heartbreak and yesterday we discovered that our hearts can be both full and broken at the same time. We have learnt what it is to carry a profound love for people who we have never met and yet are our family, a part of our souls.

Our hearts are full that our brother, Ran, “the defender of Alumim” has returned to us – but broken that we are laying him to rest. The return of the last hostage may close a painful circle for us – but for their families, there is an aching wound that will never heal, a chasm that can never be filled and a longing that will never end. For the families of the hostages who are deceased, murdered by their captors, the loss will never lessen.

Several days ago, the IDF launched “Operation Brave Heart” to search for the remains of Ran (or Rani as he has become known in Israel) and bring him home. The search took them to a cemetery in northern Gaza and after searching through 250 graves, Ran was found. Speaking at his son’s funeral, Itzik Gvili revealed that not only was Rani whole – but that he had been found in the 250^th grave our warriors searched. In Hebrew, each letter is assigned a numerical value and Ran’s name was the equivalent of 250. It is impossible to not see that as a message from the Divine.

**Honoring a Hero**. Israel’s Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir joins his troops in Gaza City for a ceremony honoring slain hostage Master Sgt. Ran Gvili after his body was recovered in Gaza City, on January 26, 2026. (Photo: IDF)

Hiding the bodies of hostages in graves demonstrates another level of Hamas’s depravity. Not content to use their civilian populations as human shields, the terror organization defiles their dead as well.

The soldiers of the Alexandroni Brigade were joined by 20 forensic dentists who meticulously searched through the remains until they found Ran. Gvili was identified through his fingerprints and was found still in the clothes he fought in on 7 October.

Operation Brave Heart was the most fitting name for the mission to recover this hero of Israel. In a tribute written by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, Ran was described:

“Staff Sergeant Ran (Rani) Gvili from Meitar was a YASSAM Negev fighter in the Southern District of the Israel Police. Ran took great pride in being a police officer and wearing the blue uniform.

On the morning of the Black Saturday, Ran was at home recovering from a motorcycle accident and suffering from a fractured shoulder. Upon learning of the terrorist infiltration, he immediately put on his uniform and went out to assist his fellow unit members in the fighting. On his way, he encountered terrorists and fought with courage and determination on the front line at the entrance to Kibbutz Alumim. Members of the kibbutz community later gave him the name “Ran, the Defender of Alumim.”

**Hero’s Homecoming**. Israeli Police and IDF soldiers stand in line as they pay their respects at the funeral procession of St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili as he makes his way to his Negev hometown of Meitar.(Photo: Yossi Zeliger/TPS-IL)

The bravest heart is now home. He will be laid to rest with the dignity he so richly deserves. Kissing his son’s coffin, his father Itzik told him:

“We are proud of you, my son”.

Israelis lined the route of Ran’s final journey as the police escorted him with an honour guard that bore testimony to the love and brotherhood that Israel’s protectors and defenders have for each other. Laid to rest in Meitar, Ran can now have the peace he deserves. He is home.

Israelis have cried rivers of tears in the last 2 + years. We have had days that are more sorrowful than others, and some days that epitomize how we live with ha’dvash veha’oketz – the honey and the sting. The return of Rani was exactly that. It closes a painful circle. For the first time since 2014, there are no more hostages in Gaza. For the first time in 843 days, perhaps we can think about a day after 7 October. Israel has fulfilled a sacred vow – we leave no one behind.

The stop watch at Hostages Square that counted down the days, minutes and seconds has been switched off. The yellow pins, dog-tags and posters put away. Perhaps we can start to heal our broken hearts. I have a feeling they will never totally heal. How could they? October 7 was a seismic event that has changed Israel and the Jewish people forever – but we are a stubborn nation. We face forward and look at what we have learnt, how we will grow and what we can do to ensure another generation does not feel this pain again.

**Momentous Moment**. After 843 days, 12 hours, 5 minutes, and 59 seconds, the clock at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv stopped, a shofar was sounded, and many recited the Shehecheyanu blessing, giving thanks for reaching this moment. The mitzvah of redeeming captives – which Maimonides called the greatest commandment in Judaism – was fulfilled.

Ran Gvili is home. Alumim’s defender is home. The bravest heart can now rest in peace. They are all home. May the living hostages start to heal. May Ran’s and all the deceased hostages’ memories be an eternal blessing.

**Lion of Judah**. With a broken shoulder, Ran Gvili went into battle and fought like a lion in defending the lives of the residents of kibbutz Alumim (FB).

MAN ON THE RUN

From running marathons to running a top travel agency, Allan Wolman could also not get faster enough to Israel in 1967 to volunteer during the Six Day War.

A tribute by David E. Kaplan

It was with such surprise and sadness that we, at Lay of the Land heard the sad news that Allan Wolman, a contributor to our media platform over the years, had passed away on January 20, 2026. In our digital age where we engage less in person, we were unaware that he had been so ill in recent months.

My first thoughts that came to mind was how fit Allan had been having run three times in South Africa’s famed “Comrades”, one of the most grueling marathons in the world as well riding in the “Argus” (Cape Town’s equally famed international annual cycling race) an impressive eight times. All this we gleaned from his bio under his numerous articles.

What also came to mind to us at Lay of the Land was his article on his experiences as a volunteer to Israel in 1967, which we published in June 2022 on the 55^th anniversary of the Six Day War. As in October 2023 when Israel was attacked and faced multiple enemies on multiple fronts and its future was uncertain, so too was the situation in June 1967 – uncertain. However, for overseas volunteers like Allan in Johannesburg, there was no “uncertainty” where they needed to be:

“We needed to be in Israel.”

Having signed up as a volunteer at the Zionist Federation in Johannesburg, when war did break out on the 5^thJune, Allan relates he felt a sense of disappointment “as one group had already departed for Israel, and I was not part of it. With ears glued to the radio constantly, as well as almost camping at the Zionist Fed, the days ticked by until I received the call to be ready to leave that evening!

**Connecting at the Knesset**. Only a year after the new Knesset building in Jerusalem was dedicated on August 30, 1966 (background) and only days after Jerusalem was reunited and restored to Jewish sovereignty after 2000 years, volunteer Allan Wolman explores Israel’s reunited capital.

The excitement was overwhelming. I called my parents and next my dad arranged $300 – money that he could ill afford at the time – and rushed around to pack and get ready to leave.

Our SAA plane was a Boeing 707 that took about 250 passengers – all full of volunteers! The excitement at the departure hall was so memorable with proud Dad, tearful Mom and all my ‘envious’ friends who clubbed together and gave me $100 – a fortune in those days!”

For most of the group this was their first trip out of South Africa and it was to a country at war. Most people characteristically flee from wars but not these young Jews, mostly students, who put their lives – and for some their loves – on hold, to support the call of “our Jewish state in need.”

Allan recalls the excitement on the last leg of the flight to Israel from Athens on an El Al flight where on route they were joined by an Israeli fighter jet “to escort us in as the war was not yet over.”

MIDNIGHT AT DIZENGOFF

Allan’s first impression disembarking at then Lod Airport was of “a bunch of bearded rowdy looking soldiers looking fearsome. After the necessary arrival requirements, our group was bussed to a senior citizen’s home in Herzliya – by that time it was already dark, enhanced by the enforced blackout. I remember those first few hours so vividly – the residents of the home were clapping and cheering us. After an almost 24-hour flight and the excitement of landing in Israel, some of our group walked down to experience a swim in the Mediterranean and then – even with the war and the “blackout” – we hitched that evening a ride into Tel Aviv. Sometime before midnight, we arrived at Dizengoff Street –the only place we had heard of – when the cease-fire came into effect and the lights were turned on and the euphoria was simply indescribable. After six days of anxiety, the nation breathed a sigh of relief.”

**Relic of War**. Allan Wolman leaning back on a burnt-out Jordanian Jeep on a tour of the West Bank shortly after fighting ceased

With what Israel has been experiencing over the past two years since October 7 – of its reservists abroad returning home to fight and its civilians volunteering – it was interesting to ‘travel’ back to 1967 and see how the Jewish youth in the Diaspora responded to the unfolding crisis. Allan writes how the morning after their arrival, they were assigned to kibbutzim across the country “to assist with agricultural work as most of the men were still in the army.” Allan was assigned to kibbutz Kvutzat Schiller (Gan Shlomo) near Rehovot in central Israel and it felt “like landing on another planet.” Following orientation, “I was billeted in a room with three other young guys from England, two of which remained lifelong friends.” Of the fellow South Africans in his group, he writes of Raymond (“Rafi”) Lowenberg who remained in Israel, married, but was tragically killed on the first day of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. “I have hardly ever missed a memorial day in honour of Raymond – a brilliant guy; had his matric before he had a driver’s license and a degree at age nineteen.”

**Having a Field Day**. Fellow volunteers of the writer (including Raymond Lowenberg and Peter Edel) join a group of army Nachalniks in June 1967 working on kibbutz Kvutzat Schiller’s cotton plantation.

Allan records touring around Israel with his new friends most notably towards the Suez Canal not too long after the war ended “and witnessed the endless lines of destroyed Egyptian army trucks and tanks. We hiked through Gaza, and Gaza City was a dingy backward town with no building higher than two stories. Also hiked to El Arish, again a pretty backward little town. We never made it to the Canal but pretty close as it was a military security zone. Hiking back to Israel proper, Peter, Raymond, Alan and I were given a ride by an Arab Taxi who on route back, decided to turn off the road into an Arab refugee camp, which was a pretty hostile areas for Jews to venture in. Anxious and afraid of what lay ahead for us, we discussed in broken Afrikaans to knock the driver unconscious and take over his car to avoid the danger we feared lay ahead. Such bravado came to nought as the taxi stopped outside a house where his wife and children came out to collect fruit and vegetables he was delivering to his family. We felt ashamed for suspecting the worst.”

**Dig This**. Sitting on a destroyed Jordanian military earth-mover, are (left-right) volunteers Allan Wolman, Peter Edel and Raymond Lowenberg.

Again, what is reminiscent of the current war in so far as Israelis uniting for the return of all the hostages held in Gaza, and civilians across the country volunteering in their support for the soldiers, Allan’s recollections capture a similar mood in 1967 of national unity and support:

“What struck me was the coming together of everyone in support of each other. There was such unity. This was so visibly evident when traveling around the country and seeing at every town or settlement, refreshment tables set out by the women of the area preparing sandwiches and refreshments for the soldiers who were either leaving or joining their units as the army remained on full alert.”

Allan’s writing captures the elated atmosphere in Israel in the immediate aftermath of the Six Day War, describing that period:

“…as one of the most profound and memorable experiences of my life. Firstly, this was my very first trip overseas and, in a country, celebrating (with much relief) one of the most astounding military victories in modern warfare, the mood was one of exuberance and happiness after the anxiety leading up to the war. Most of the time was spent working various jobs on the Kibbutz from working in the chicken sheds shoveling chicken ‘shit’ to working in the various orchards and apple packing plant and weeding the cotton fields. You knew you had ‘made it’ – I am talking here serious ‘upward mobility’ – when you were trusted to drive a tractor. This was a status symbol; a far cry from the chicken coup!”

He records the “amazing” evenings as:

“a living metaphor of the sixties. We sat around our rooms drinking coffee and socializing with the girls; Raymond would be playing his guitar and we would listen mesmerised to the music and lyrics of the latest Beetles classic – “Sergeant Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band”. For sure, we were anything but ‘lonely’; we all felt part of something great happening, so much bigger than ourselves.”

Allan concludes with “all good things must come to an end” and one morning “I came to the realization that if I didn’t get off the Kibbutz, I would remain there for the rest of my life,” so he packed his bags and said his goodbyes and left to spend a few weeks with his cousin Cyril Swiel in Tel Aviv. It proved “a real learning experience seeing the other side of life in Israel. I met up with some friends from South Africa and decided to travel through Europe and see the world.”

**Field of Dreams**. Having “lots of fun, laughter and discussing girls” says Allan Wolman (left) followed by Peter Edel and Raymond Lowenberg while picking apples in the orchids.

That zest to “see the world” would lead Allan towards the tourist industry where following his return to South Africa he would go on to run one of the oldest travel agencies in Johannesburg, Rosebank Travel and co-found the XL Travel Group. However, “seeing the world” could never quite match his “being in Israel” in 1967, an impact that sowed the seed for eventually, decades later in 2019, making Aliyah – settling in the Jewish state.

We will miss Allan’s writing, notably his exposure of hypocrisy. This was evident in his Lay of the Land article WHEN DOES LACK OF FOOD MORPH INTO LACK OF TRUTH, that took to task the global media that was“hellbent on shaming Israel in the midst of an existential war,” while “ignoringthe mega-million starving across the world.” He wrote, “If you didn’t know better, you’d think Gaza was the only place on earth where children go hungry. Just switch on CNN, Sky, or BBC – every night another solemn anchor, another indignant UN official, another weepy “expert” telling us what a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Gaza. And yes, it is tragic. But if starvation is now characterised as the world’s ‘No. 1’ war crime, what about all the other famines the media doesn’t bother to cover?”

Exposing selective news coverage similar with what is happening today in the global media by ignoring the fate of the protestors in Iran, Allan wrote that when it came to Gaza, “suddenly every camera lens, every crocodile tear, and every moral sermon is locked in. The media’s appetite for images of starving children seems oddly selective – especially when it’s Israel in their crosshairs. We hear next to nothing about starvation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Somalia in the Horn of Africa,” or in his native South Africa “a country run by a government that shouts ‘a better life for all!’ while literally letting its children starve to death.”

Lives only matter “when it suits the script” wrote Allan.

Allan pulled no punches in telling it the way it is

We will miss that as we will miss him.

We, at Lay of the Land, extend our deepest condolences to wife Jocelyn, their three sons and their families.

OUT OF THIS WORLD

A tribute to Israeli entrepreneur, innovator, philanthropist and visionary Morris Kahn (1930-2026) who sought frontiers below and beyond.

By David E. Kaplan

I met Morris quite recently, shortly before he passed away on January 1, 2026 but it was as a hologram at the Peres Center for Peace and Technology in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Fascinated, I watched and listened to an animated life-size Morris sharing stories, ideas and how he achieved his goals in various fields of business, technology and science. If less than a month ago was the last time I saw Morris, the first time was in 1994, when I interviewed him in person, at his office in AMDOCS for Telfed Magazine, then a publication for the Southern African community in Israel.

The interview began with Morris saying that he never, on principle and embodied in policy gave interviews nor did he permit members of his vast staff from “talking to the press without permission.” His skepticism and suspicion of the media now with hindsight was quite visionary considering the situation today of ‘fake news’ and its consequences.

He continued with a broad smile that he was happily “making an exception” as he had such respect for Telfed and its publication in the service it provided for his fellow Southern Africans in Israel. Such respect was reciprocated not only by Israel’s Southern African community but all Israelis for a man who came to this country in the mid-1950s with little but gave so much to Israel and beyond.

I use the word “little” only in the material sense as he arrived with abundant talent and unbridled vision. Truly a kindred spirit of Simon Peres and seemed right that my last image of Morris was of him illuminating on ‘his world’ inside the Shimon Peres Center of Peace and Innovation. In the spirit of illumination, it was most fitting that Morris was given the honor in 2019 of lighting a candle at the national ceremony in Jerusalem on Israel’s Independence Day.

Best describing Morris were the words of another esteemed South African Israeli, the late Smoky Simon who as a co-honoree at a joint Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony said of his friend, who at the time was ten years his junior:

“You are a phenomenon. You have succeeded in capturing the mysterious and elusive formulae of how to successfully combine pleasure and relaxation with philanthropy, establishing social projects, promoting medical and scientific projects together with your business activities in one great package. Little wonder you have been honoured by the universities of Haifa, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Bar Ilan, Ben Gurion and the Weizmann Institute, and now, just for good measure, you are involved in the international competition to assist Israel in being the first country to get a robot onto the moon.”

**Moonstruck**. Despite the disappointing news that the Israeli moon lander Beresheet crashed into the moon, benefactor Morris Khan (seen here next to Beresheet) stayed positive and was ready to try again. Afterall, it still reached the Moon even if “not the way we wanted,” and made Israel the fourth country to even reach it, following the United States, Soviet Union and China. (Photo: y Getty Images)

Morris, who hailed from Benoni in South Africa where he had been a member of the socialist Zionist youth movement Habonim, first visited Israel in 1955, and related of having discovered “a strange country, a foreign language, different food – but a feeling of being at home with my people.” It was enough for him to return the following year and to stay.

From starting out manufacturing bicycles at a factory in Beit Shemesh in partnership with kibbutz Tzora, Morris’ trajectory soared establishing companies that grew into commercial behemoths such as Golden Pages Israel, Amdocs with 26,000 employees worldwide, the Aurec Group and Coral World International, which established aquariums around the world from his first in 1978 in Israel’s Red Sea resort of Eilat and then in Maui, Hawaii, Perth, Australia; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; Coral Island Nassau, The Bahamas; Oceanworld in Manly, Australia, and elsewhere. The shared vision of Morris and world-renowned reef biologist David Fridman was based on the concept of a “revolutionary kind of aquarium,” an underwater observatory where visitors can enjoy close-up encounters with coral reefs and other aquatic forms of life in the Red Sea, “without getting wet.”

**Educating the Youth**. A young enthusiastic child at the Underwater Observatory in the southern Israeli city of Eilat, on July 25, 2022. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)

The Red Sea Underwater Observatory, also known as Coral World Eilat was the first land-based, undersea tourist attraction and enjoyed immediate success paving the way for its replication elsewhere in the world.

**Sea’ing is Believing**. As Morris Kahn envisioned, Eilat’s underwater observatory where visitors can enjoy unique encounters with the Red Sea’s coral reef and aquatic forms of life, “*without getting wet*.”

Morris’ underwater venture began with a family adventure when he began scuba diving with his family in Eilat in the late 1960s and realized “that most people don’t get a chance to see the beautiful underwater world – the coral and the fish – because they don’t dive.” So, in 1972, he began the construction in Eilat of the Underwater Observatory and Marine Park, which since its opening in 1974 welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors per year. In 2014, the underwater observatory expanded by adding the biggest shark pool of its kind in the Middle East, which covers an area of 1000m² offering a rare opportunity for ‘close-encounters’ with the sharks of the Red Sea. When I last visited it, I overheard the stunned remark from a USA tourist next to me “Wow, this beats the shark pool at Las Vegas!” I was uncertain whether he was referring to card sharks or those with fins, but nevertheless the observation was spot-on.

**Morris on a Mission**. South Africa-born Israeli billionaire entrepreneur, Morris Kahn speaks during a press conference at the Israel Aerospace facility in Yehud on July 10, 2018. (Flash90)

Transitioning his GPS, Morris recalibrated his sights from below to above – from the deep depths of the earth’s sea to outer space and became a major sponsor and a public board member of Space IL, Israel’s nonprofit initiative to land an unmanned spacecraft on the Moon as part of the Google Lunar X Prize. “Landing a robot on the Moon is very complex but I enjoy being involved in the challenge,” explained Morris of his motivation. “I am a great believer in education and one of our goals at Space IL is getting the young generation excited and educated about science and space. We are trying to create the effect that Apollo had on the young generation in the U.S. I think it would be important for Israel to succeed in a competition like this. It would put Israel on the map in Space.”

**Aiming High**. Always aiming to entice the youth to take an interest in science, Morris Kahn unveils a lego model of SpaceIL’s Beresheet spacecraft, during the opening of the Lego space park in Tel Aviv on July 25, 2019.

Addressing the local media before the launch, Morris said, “This mission that we were talking about was really a ‘mission impossible’. The only thing is, I didn’t think it was impossible, and the three engineers that started this project didn’t think it was impossible, and the way Israel thinks, nothing is impossible.”

Morris’ words of “nothing is impossible” nailed the Israeli narrative revealing why such a tiny country, one that at it geographical narrowest could be ridden in one of Morris early bicycles in less than a half-hour, could be the ‘Startup-Nation’ it is today. Morris was a major contributor to this status.

**Moon Men.** After the impressive aquarium at his office in Ramat Gan, the next thing to catch a visitors eyes eye is the photo of Morris (right) standing beside his good friend, the astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, immediately after his fellow Apollo 11 crew member, Neil Armstrong.

Making ‘Aliyah’ (immigrating) in 1956, Morris has sure lived up to the direct translation from the Hebrew of “ascending” or “to go up” – both metaphorically and physically. From bicycles in his early years to spacecrafts in his later years, Morris’ journey has been one of outreach from under the sea to outer space and everything in-between.

Morris Kahn leaves a legacy that will endure long into the future that he so embraced and enriched with his exploits and achievements.

LAST ONE OUT TURNS OFF THE DARKNESS

First to race into the inferno of October 7, Ran Gvili is now the last.

By Forest Rain Marcia

“Don’t worry Ma. See, my arm is fine!”

He knew his arm wasn’t fine. She knew it too.

They both knew there was no way he was staying home. Not after the videos he had seen, not after the emergency message he received, the message all policemen in the area received, the message they thought they would never hear: a call to respond to an invasion.

It didn’t matter that he had a broken shoulder and was scheduled for surgery in a few days. He was trained to defend the innocent, and nothing would stop him.

It was October 7th, and his country needed him.

Master Sergeant Ran Gvili of the Yasam Special Patrol Unit put on his uniform, took his father’s car, and drove to the police station. He met his team, donned battle gear, gathered weapons and ammunition, and drove straight into the eye of the storm: “The Al Aqsa Flood.”

The Last Israeli Hostage in Gaza: The Story of Ran Gvili | KAN 11

At the Saad junction, they found themselves in battle with the invaders. They helped party-goers escape the Nova massacre and reach safety. Ran was shot in the leg. He fashioned a tourniquet and battled on. At Alumim, he and other warriors managed to prevent the invaders from entering the kibbutz, saving those sheltering there — but at a terrible cost. The attackers had already slaughtered 22 workers from Thailand and Nepal and taken others hostage. Fourteen people fleeing the Nova party were murdered near the kibbutz, and five defenders of Israel were killed.

We think.

While learning through the news about friends and colleagues who had been killed, Ran’s brother, also a policeman, assumed Ran was home. After all, Ran was injured and scheduled for surgery.

When Ran’s phone rang, the battle was raging. His brother was shocked to hear him explain where he was and to learn that he had also been shot in the hand: “Don’t tell our parents. I’m shot, but I’m fine.”

Ran sent this selfie(below) on October 7th – his last photo.

Last selfie photo of Ran Gvili from the 7th October 2023

Separated from his team, with a broken shoulder and two gunshot wounds, Ran sheltered from the attackers and passed critical information to the relevant security forces, doing everything he could to bring help to the battle. When the invaders discovered his location, he fought them alone.

The bodies of fourteen terrorists were found at the point where he had been sheltering. Ran was gone.

It took more than fourteen to subdue him and take him to Gaza.

Intelligence officials discovered footage of his unconscious body being taken to Gaza. They informed the Gvili family that the injuries Ran sustained are not survivable — unless given emergency intensive care, which he did not receive. None of the liberated hostages saw him during their captivity.

No one knows for certain what happened to Ran. Until his body is returned, his family clings to the faint hope that this powerful warrior — their Rani —could somehow survive.

**Lion of Judah**. Despite the odds, Ran Gvili was an Israeli hero who ran into danger to save lives.

He was among the first to race toward the battle and is now the last who has yet to return home. His mother says Ran always made sure everyone else was ok before thinking of himself. It is like him to be last, to make sure everyone else goes first.

Hollywood has nothing on us. Our heroes are real.

I never met Ran, but I have met his mother, Talik Gvili, and seen her in action. She is a hero, a warrior of a different kind. It is no surprise that her son is a hero.

Since October 7th, Talik’s heart has ached for her Rani, but she has devoted her mind to defending our people. She has spoken in the Knesset and around the world, advocating for the release of all hostages through strength. Only victory over Hamas will protect us from future invasions. She says:

“I am the mother of a hostage. I do not want to be the grandmother of a hostage.”

One of the most extraordinary moments I have witnessed was between Talik Gvili and Einav Zangauker, mother of Matan, who at the time was held hostage in Gaza. I was accompanying families of hostages to the Knesset, where, during committee sessions, families were given the chance to speak to parliament members and other government officials. Each family spoke in turn; all listened respectfully, no matter what was said or how long it took. Some pleaded with the government officials to save their loved ones. Others explained that they expected their loved ones to be saved in a way that didn’t endanger the future of Israel.

Einav Zangauker unleashed her fear and frustration at the committee head, haranguing him with devastating accusations:

“The blood of my son will be on your hands. They will bring him back dead, and you will manage the funeral and the shiva.”

There were some seventy people in the room. We all sat in silence. The more she spoke, the more extreme her words became, and the more everyone cringed, devastated, in their seats.

Until Talik spoke.

It was like magic. I don’t remember her exact words, but with grace and dignity, she broke the torrent of Einav’s rage, refocused her, and calmed her to the point where she got up, walked around the table, hugged Talik, and sat down next to her, holding her hand.

Allowing us all to breathe again.

**Cry Freedom**. With the symbolism of the Statue of Liberty in the background , the late Master Sergeant Ran Gwili mother appeals for his ‘liberty’ from Gaza.

Talik has rightly received awards and praise for her wise and eloquent advocacy. After one event, I approached her and told her I admired her greatly but needed to correct one huge mistake in her speech. Startled, she focused on me. I said, “You claim that you aren’t a hero, but that ignores what heroes are. They aren’t just warriors in battle; heroes are people who go above and beyond what the average person would do in the same situation.” She looked at me, unmoving. I continued, “When this happened, you could have crawled into bed, pulled the covers over your head, and refused to move. It would have been much easier.”

Her eyes softened. She sighed and nodded. “That’s true. Thank you.”

**Waiting for Ran**. Itzik Gvili, says of his son Ran, “He didn’t think twice, he went and fought, even with two bullets in his body.” Addressing a crowd at Hostages Square, he speaks about his son in the present tense. “It’s hard for me to accept condolences. Until I see his body, I don’t speak about him in the past tense.”

Hero. Mother of a hero. I wish I could give her a fraction of the strength she has given for all of us, for our safety, for our future. Now her Rani, one of the first to race into the inferno, is the last in Gaza.

We say that “the last one out turns off the light.” Perhaps Ran, the last one out, will be the one who turns off the darkness that has taken over Gaza.

Perhaps he won’t come home until we make sure the darkness is extinguished. There is a job that has yet to be completed. We are responsible for making sure that happens.

About the writer:

Forest Rain Marcia is an American-born Israeli who lives in northern Israel. She’s a branding expert and storyteller. Her passion is giving voice to the stories of Israel illuminating its profound events, cherished values, and exemplary role models that transcend borders, casting Israel as an eternal wellspring of inspiration and strength for a global audience.
Forest Rain made Aliyah at the age of thirteen. After her IDF service, she co-developed and co-directed a project to aid victims of terrorism and war. These activities gave her extensive first-hand experience with the emotional and psychological processes of civilians, soldiers, and their families, wounded and/or bereaved and traumatized by terrorism and war (grief, guilt, PTSD, etc). Throughout the years, she has continued to voice the stories, pain, and strength of traumatized Israelis to motivate others to provide support and counter the hate that threatens Jews in Israel, around the world, and Western civilization itself through the understanding that what begins with the Jews never ends with Jews.

Inspiration from Zion: https://inspirationfromzion.com/

THE ESSENCE OF HER NAME

In loving memory of Tova Ben Dov

By Rolene Marks
Tribute

If anyone was the absolute embodiment of her name, it was Tova Ben Dov. Tova, as her name suggests, was goodness personified. With twinkling blue eyes and the familiar sound of “Bubbeleh” greeting all who she was fond of, Tova brought her unique charm, wisdom and humour to all who knew her.

I will never forget the first time I met Tova. I joined a cohort of WIZO (Women’s International Zionist Organization) women at the World Zionist Congress and saw how this slender, twinkly-eyed lady wielded tremendous power and respect and how when she spoke, she commanded the room.

Assigning herself as my “ima Israelit” (Israeli mother), Tova was a pillar of support and a gentle guide to help navigate the travails of Aliyah. I looked so forward to our chats where she would share anecdotes and always looked for the silver linings, even though these past years that have been so difficult for all of us. Tova never missed a beat – she knew what was happening in our communities around the world and stood strong in her identity, always encouraging pride in who we are and the imperative of standing up to the hate.

With wisdom, humour and patience, Tova was a mentor to so many, including WIZO women. Creating leaders and education was important to Tova; and from Melbourne, to Malmo, we were guided, encouraged and mentored by her.

Tova was more than just Honorary Life President of WIZO – she was the beating heart of the movement. Tova poured her heart into everything that she did and it shows in her legacy and the love that so many have for her.

Tova was born in Tel Aviv to parents from a Zionist family that was one of the founders of the Jewish state. For six decades, she devoted herself to WIZO.

Starting her career as a volunteer at the Herzliya Pituach branch, she became a respected leader on the national and international stage.

Working her way up the WIZO ladder, she held several leadership positions, including President of World WIZO from 2012 to 2016. She also served as vice president of the World Jewish Congress, a member of the executive committee of the Jewish Agency for Israel and a member of the International Council of Women.

Among other things, Ben-Dov founded the Open House in Sderot, named after former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, as well as the first secure daycare center in the southern Israeli city. During her tenure, WIZO won the Israel Prize in 2008 for its contribution to advancing the status of women and gender equality.

Among Ben-Dov’s notable accomplishments within WIZO was the establishment of the Margaret Thatcher Open House in Sderot (above) which provides professional treatment, therapy and support programs to thousands of children and families in a city whose residents are traumatized by war.

In 2011, Tova was honoured with the Yakir Tel Aviv-Yafo award in recognition of her dedication to the well-being of the city, and in 2016, she was awarded the title of honorary fellow of the World Zionist Congress.

These are incredible achievements and are testament to a lifetime of service to her country.

Her greatest pride and joy has always been her family and her siblings, three children, seven grandchildren and a great-granddaughter, survive her. Tova was laid to rest in the Kiryat Shaul cemetery.

Her passing leaves a gaping hole in the lives of so many. May we all live up to the example that she set. Tova by name – and by nature. Goodness personified. May her memory be eternally blessed.

FROM PLONSK TO A NATION

Tracing Ben Gurion’s roots from small town in central Poland to forging a nation.

By Motti Verses

This coming October 16 will mark another birthday of a leader whose wisdom we could certainly use in today’s roller-coaster reality. Born back in the 19^th century in 1886, he is sadly no longer with us. While most people, myself included, tend to honor his memory by visiting his grave in Sde Boker, this time I decided to pay tribute in a different way: by tracing David Ben Gurion’s roots in Poland.

On our way back from Gdańsk to Warsaw Chopin Airport, we turned off the highway to a small, easily overlooked town: Płońsk, 70k/ms north of Warsaw. Israel’s founding prime minister was born here, and I was determined to find the house where he first saw the light of day. Thanks to modern technology, the task was surprisingly easy. Without it, it would have been nearly impossible, as there are no road signs directing visitors there.

It was a moving visit. The oval-shaped old town plaza is tiny, ringed with homes of bygone eras. Among them stood a turquoise-colored building that, according to images on my phone, matched the one I was seeking. Once a restaurant, now closed, it bears a “For Rent” sign in the window. Perhaps this is a golden opportunity for a Jewish investor to acquire the property and give it a purpose worthy of its history. A modest black plaque announces that David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s founding prime minister, was born here.

**Food for Thought**. From the outside, a visitor would know that this small turquoise building had once been a restaurant but could be excused for not knowing that long before had been the childhood home of one of the most iconic nation-builders of the 20^th century – David Ben Gurion.(Photo: Motti Verses)

Back then, he was still David Grün, growing up in a modest Jewish household. At the time, Płońsk was part of the Russian Empire (today, Poland) and had a vibrant Jewish community that made up roughly half its population. His father, Avigdor Grün, was a teacher and an active member of the Ḥovevei Zion (“Lovers of Zion”) movement, which inspired young David with the ideals of Jewish national revival.

As a teenager, Ben-Gurion joined Poale Zion, a socialist-Zionist youth group, and even began teaching Hebrew to local children. Life in Płońsk’s close-knit shtetl, shared with both Jews and Poles, shaped his worldview: he saw the necessity of Jewish self-reliance while also recognizing the challenges of coexistence. In 1906, at the age of 19, he emigrated to Eretz Israel and the rest, as they say, is history.

**Płońsk to Palestine**. David Ben-Gurion (bottom center) in white shirt at a gathering of “Poalei Tzion” (Jewish worker youth movement) in Płońsk before his emigration to Eretz Israel/Palestine in 1906 still under the rule of the Ottoman Turks. In the back row, right of the flag, stands his father, Avigdor Grün. (Photo: Ben-Gurion Archives)

Today, Płońsk commemorates him with various educational initiatives. The Płońsk Memorial House (Dom Pamięci w Płońsku) tells the story of his youth and of the once-thriving Jewish community. Located just across the narrow street from the turquoise house, it is dedicated to the intertwined history of Polish and Jewish residents who lived together in Płońsk for nearly five centuries. The museum is housed in a restored early 20th-century two-story brick building that once served as both a pharmacy and a residence. The project reflects a broader goal: to preserve the shared memory of both communities, foster intercultural dialogue, and honor the legacy for visiting descendants of Płońsk’s Jews as well as tourists interested in the town’s history and its connection to David Ben-Gurion.

**Sign of the Times**. A modest black plaque informs that Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion was born in this house.(Photo: Motti Verses)

What struck me most was a remarkable mural on one of the nearby building walls. This vibrant graffiti artwork tells the story of Israel and Ben-Gurion. It was created by the multifaceted Polish artist Bruno Neuhamer (also known as Bruno Althamer), a draftsman, illustrator, sculptor, and street artist. The mural was unveiled on October 26, 2021, during the Jewish Culture Festival in Płońsk. The project was realized in cooperation with the city authorities, the local cultural center, and the Israeli Embassy in Poland.

**Mural of Memories**. Located on a wall of a tenement house at 6 Warszawska Street in Płońsk, Bruno Neuhamer’s mural tells the story of Israel and the life of Ben-Gurion, including the legendary image of the Prime Minister standing on his head which he did from childhood in Płońsk to old age in Israel, including on Tel Aviv beach. (Photo: Motti Verses)

The central image shows Ben-Gurion balancing on his head, inspired by a 1957 photograph by Paul Goldman, preserved at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv. According to historical accounts, young Ben-Gurion often fainted, and his doctor prescribed headstands as a remedy. A habit he maintained well into later life. Beyond the literal image, the pose – as I saw it – carries a deeper metaphor: to achieve something great, one sometimes must turn the world upside down.

**“HISTORY IS NOT WRITEN, HISTORY IS MADE”**. This is the last line in the Murial’s inscription on the life of Ben Gurion that appears in Polish, English and Hebrew. (Photo: Motti Verses)

In Ben-Gurion’s case, this is the story of a boy from Płońsk who did just that, ultimately founding a nation. The mural is filled with details: exotic plants, tanks with raised barrels, adding layers of meaning. At first, the tanks seemed out of place, yet in today’s reality, Neuhamer’s choice feels prophetic. The mural left me thoughtful, even melancholic, about Israel’s present and image in the world.

**Early Life**. One of the exhibits relating to David Ben Gurion in the Płońsk Memorial House. (Photo: Motti Verses)

As an Israeli visiting Płońsk, I felt a mix of emotions. Walking the same streets that young David once knew was like touching the roots of modern Israel’s story. It was a reminder that a boy from here turned the world upside down to create a nation. There was a strong echo of resilience, dreams, and lives stretching from Poland to Israel, along with sadness for the absence of the once-vibrant Jewish community, erased by the Holocaust. The silence where synagogues, schools, and children’s laughter once filled the air was palpable. And yet, there was also warmth: many Polish young people today take pride in commemorating their town’s connection to Israel. Płońsk still holds a living link to the Jewish people. An encouraging reality in our times.

**Past Preserved**. Across the street from Ben Gurion’s childhood home is the entrance to Płońsk Memorial House. (Photo: Motti Verses)

It was pleasantly cool in Płońsk this August. In winter, average temperatures here hover around 0 °C (32°F). My thoughts drifted to young David’s reality, and to the stark contrast of his later life in the Middle East-especially during the sweltering hot days of the Negev desert in Sde Boker. Quite a change, and quite a challenge.

You don’t need more than an hour to see Płońsk; everything is small and close together. But if you’re in the area, make the stop – it will certainly be worth it.

It will also be both enlightening and rewarding to see how from this small town emerged a giant of the 20^th century that defied insurmountable obstacles and challenges to forge a nation on their ancestral land that today hosts the largest core Jewish population in the world, with 7.2 million, followed by the United States with 6.3 million.

The man who did headstands knew where and when to stand where and when it mattered!

*Feature picture: Birth of a Nation. The writer stands in front of Ben-Gurion’s childhood home in Płońsk, Poland. (Photo: Motti Verses)

About the writer:

The writer, Motti Verses, is a Travel Flash Tips publisher. His travel stories are published on THE TIMES OF ISRAEL https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/author/motti-verses/. And his hospitality analysis reviews on THE JERUSALEM POST, are available on his Linkedin page LinkedIn Israelhttps://il.linkedin.com › motti-verse…Motti Verses – Publisher and Chief Editor – TRAVEL FLASH TIPSAnd his hospitality analysis reviews on THE JERUSALEM POST, are available on his Linkedin page LinkedIn Israelhttps://il.linkedin.com › motti-verse…Motti Verses – Publisher and Chief Editor – TRAVEL FLASH TIPS.

OF MARKETS AND MINDSETS

Farewell to Stef Wertheimer – a feisty ‘warrior’ for peace and prosperity who has died at age 98.

By David E. Kaplan

I was privileged to interview Stef Wertheimer in 2010 as editor then of the Hilton Israel Magazine. As Israel’s leading industrialist and second largest metalworking tool manufacturer in the world, Stef had been under the international spotlight since 2006 when Warren Buffet’s, Berkshire Hathaway acquired 80% of his company ISCAR Metalworking for a staggering four billion US dollars, the largest then ever buy-out of an Israeli company. Not only was it a resounding vote of confidence in the Israeli economy but also a break in the mindset of Israel being mainly a market Mecca for hi-tech investors. Industry was instantly up there in the vanguard of the pack – its stature restored.

**Man on a Mission**. Stef Wertheimer – a visionary and a warrior for peace and prosperity.

I naturally felt that this should be the main focus of the interview but how radically off base I was. As we began casually chatting, Stef made it clear that he did not want to talk about the Buffet deal, saying dismissively:

“that’s only about money.”

Seeing my obvious surprise, he explained, “money can cloud what is really important. The real significance of the deal did not happen in 2006 but in 1952.”

What did he mean?

Public fascination, he explained, falsely gravitates to the Buffet deal because of the staggering sum, but “this is not the true barometer of success. To tell you the truth, my first deal operating out of my kitchen in Nahariya was far more significant and therefore more meaningful to me.”

Son of a musician and decorated First World War veteran, Stef Wertheimer was born in Kikenheim, Germany in 1926. In 1936, with the Nazis entrenched in power, the Wertheimer family fled Germany for Palestine. “I was 10 years old, so they did not ask me,” he says, chuckling.

**Rearing to Go**. Always striving high, the refugee child from southern Baden, Germany, Stef Wertheimer as a teenager in Tel Aviv.

Learning a trade as an apprentice to a refugee, Stef, at age eighteen, joined the newly established Israel Air force flight school. Although he graduated as a pilot, the army was far more interested in “my skills in metal processing.” Given the important task of developing weapons, no one in those days would have imagined that young Stef was well on his way to becoming a global industrialist and ‘warrior’ for peace.

When the state of Israel came into being and the battles ended, he started his cutting-tool factory from his home in Nahariya with a borrowed lathe and a loan from a local butcher.

He tells the story:

“Living in Nahariya, I used to ride my motorbike to kibbutz Hanita where I paid for the use of a machine. I then decided in 1952 to work at home and started with small blade sharpener which cost forty lirot. My ‘factory floor’ was the balcony off our kitchen. I called my business ISCAR. Family and employees shared the same premises and as the business expanded, I ‘invaded’ the bedroom and shifted the beds into the corridor. My baby daughter used to ride her tricycle taking bites of food from my workers. That is how she grew to enjoy spicy cuisine from my Mizrahi (Jews of Middle Eastern ancestry) workers.”

**Factory Floor**. A young highly motivated Stef Wertheimer (center) in his backyard Iscar workshop in Nahariya in the early 1950s. (Photo: private)

Deflecting any discussion “about money,” Stef steers the interview to that which he is most proud of – his unofficial title as the ‘Father of Israel’s industrial parks’. Promoting nothing less than a new ‘Industrial Revolution’ for the Middle East, Stef’s vision was about transforming the industrial and political landscape of Israel and beyond. “A successful society is a skilled society,” he asserted.

Stef went on to establish seven industrial parks in Israel, with the goal of fostering economic growth and job creation to help “create stability in the region.”

**Aiming High**. The ISCAR World Headquarters and Central Manufacturing Facilities located in Tefen in the high hills of Israel.

His first, built in 1982, set the tone encompassing everything from transportation to cultural and educational facilities. Establishing them specifically in peripheral areas, these complexes of export-oriented factories generated annual sales of $2.7 billion and provided employment to its surrounding areas. Stef’s attitude was clear:

“There is no unemployed, only people who are unlucky to find a job.”

A visionary for regional peace, he posed the question: “Imagine if there were hundreds of these “Pockets of Peace” all over the Middle East? Who would have the time or the interest for war? People would be too busy creating instead of destroying.”

In response to my question whether he was proposing mass industrialization as a tool for regional harmony, he replied:

“Yes, if people are highly skilled, earning good salaries and enjoying job satisfaction, then there will be no urge for individuals or nation states to resort to violence to achieve their aspirations. Religious fanatics only flourish where poverty and despair rule. However, to achieve an industrial revolution, we need a revolution in our educational system as well. For too long we have been obsessed with professional degrees, steering our children towards becoming bankers, doctors or lawyers. We have been short-sighted with little thought as to how our small country can absorb these professions. When we award too many degrees with no jobs to support them, we create an export market of our finest commodity – our talented youth. The sad result is that Jewish and Arab families, who both cherish close family ties, are reduced to talking to their loved ones over Skype [Before the age of WhatsApp] instead of over the kitchen table. We should train our youth for jobs that will keep them here in Israel.”

And to the question whether this would not require a change of mindset towards technical education, Stef replied:

“Sure; we prefer to pursue the ‘clean’ professions because we are pressured by our parents. This has been embedded into our culture. We have an aversion to rolling up our sleeves and getting our fingers dirty. Jews gravitate to commerce and the professions rather than into industry. This needs to change.”

Questioning how we break from tradition if it’s so imbedded in our culture, he replied:

“One needs to look no further for a shining example than one of our revered Zionist pioneers, A.D. Gordon. Was he suited to work in the fields? Definitely not. He was an elderly intellectual, of no great physical strength and with no experience doing manual labor, but he took up the hoe and worked in the fields. By personal example, he provided the inspiration for generations of Zionist pioneers to create a Jewish economy by physically working the land. He showed how manual labor – so essential to the creation of the state – was honorable and enriching work.

Today, we need the same insight and spirit of A.D. Gordon to move new generations not to the fields but to our factory floors. In the same way that tilling the land in early days was considered honorable, today we need to correct the erroneous notion that manual labor is ‘low’. Nations with the most dynamic economies such as China, India, Singapore, Switzerland, Denmark and France have introduced a dual system of technical education that combines classroom learning with on-sight internships in various industries. We need to do the same.”

**Book of Revelations**. Says Warren Buffett, “There’s no better way to explain the miracle of Israel than to examine the life of Stef Wertheimer.”

Having such bold visions, it was only natural for Stef to try out politics which he did in 1977 when he was amongst the founding members of Dash, (Democratic Movement for Change) a new centrist political party. The party was highly successful, winning 15 seats in the 1977 elections, with Wertheimer taking one of the seats. The party was a combination of capitalists and socialists, doves and hawks that aimed to bring about a transformation in Israeli politics, especially by introducing a constitution and changing the voting system. The goal was to break the deadlock induced by ideologically oriented parties and to separate religion and state. The party split in 1978, and Wertheimer joined the liberal, free-market party Shinui. However, by 1982, now exasperated with politics – more faking than making – he resigned and returned to his business ventures.

Did he have any regrets for not persevering longer in politics, I asked.

“No regrets; I found the routine of politics dominated by too many lawyer-types who spend endless amounts of time clashing over budgets and how to spend rather than generate money.

However, the experience was not a waste as it paved the way for me to create the Industrial Parks and what I call, ‘Islands of Peace.’ As a member of the Knesset Economic Committee, I was asked to help several small companies that were experiencing financial problems. How could I prevent them from closing down? I came up with the idea that each company on its own could not survive, but if they were placed together and shared the same facilities, infrastructure, and access to top business guidance, they would have a better chance of survival. To this end, I brought in experts from Harvard University and MIT. A sum of $120 million was allocated for this project and supported by the Minister of Finance, Pinchas Saphir.”

However, all did not proceed according to plan, politics being what it is. Of the $120 million, $100 million found its way to the financially troubled but politically more attractive and larger companies, while Stef was allocated $20 million to focus on the smaller companies.

“Was this not disillusioning?” I asked.

“I was only too happy,” Stef replied. “Let them waste money on decaying behemoths… I will focus on the small companies, with young people who have the passion and the vision to forge ahead.’ History records what was wasted with the $100 million and what was achieved with the $20 million.”

**Movers & Shakers**. Stef Wertheimer showing Warren Buffett (left) around Tefen in northern Israel. (Photo by FLASH90).

With the seed money, Stef established in 1982 – the year after he left the Knesset – Tefen Industrial Park in the northern Galilee. At the time of the interview in 2010, Stef was currently developing his seventh park, located in Nazareth. “Although it will be managed by Arabs it will be a place where Jews and Arabs will work together. It will be a model for coexistence, where people of different cultures and religions will work with rather than against each other. The battlefield today should only be the market place.”

One can only sigh acknowledging Stef’s farsighted perspective amidst Israel’s current war.

Officially opening the Industrial High-Tech Park in Nazareth is President Shimon Peres with Stef Wertheimer (right) who said, “This industrial park is a model and a real investment in the local economy and Jewish-Arab coexistence. It will create jobs in this area and will help keep the young people of the area, from all sectors of society, here.” (Photo: Government Press Office)

Based on the large-scale economic program for Europe following World War II, Stef had promoted a similar Marshall Plan for the Middle East. His idea was to set up industries on a mass scale to provide training, create jobs, alleviate poverty and raise the per capita income of those living in the region. “People don’t know this,” said Stef, “but the money the government spends on ONE fighter plane could pay for FIVE industrial parks. Think of it – which offers a better return on investment?”

In pursuance of his vision, Stef drew up plans in the 1990s for an industrial park in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian and the Israeli governments both offered support, but one week before the groundbreaking ceremony, the Second Intifada broke out and that plan was indefinitely shelved. Decades later, instead of industrial parks, it’s the city where Israeli hostages were held and where the mastermind of the October 7 massacre Yahya Sinwar was killed on the 17 October, 2024.

As Stef Wertheimer leaves us, he also leaves us with his vision to be still pursued and achieved :

“The battlefield today should be only the market place of tomorrow.”

REMEMBERING OLGA – A WARRIOR FOR ISRAEL

In her death, as in her life, Olga’s memory and legacy is a lasting testimony.

By Jonathan Feldstein

On nearly a daily basis, for most of 470 days, Israel has suffered the death of civilians due to terrorist rockets and missiles, stabbings, and shootings; hostages whose bodies have been recovered and repatriated; and the loss of more than 400 soldiers in combat. Whether we knew any of the victims or not, each loss is a national tragedy, knocking the breath out of us as we hear the stark words “cleared for publication.”

This is especially the case for soldiers, because as a people’s army, they are our sons and daughters literally and generically. In too many cases, they are also husbands and fathers, leaving behind hundreds of widows and thousands of orphans. Each soldier’s death is noted in the print, broadcast, and electronic media, many times over, so we have a glimpse of who we’ve lost, and the depth of the loss to the family in mourning.

On January 6, Israel lost another brave warrior who devoted her life for defending Israel and the Jewish people. But she wasn’t an Israeli, and she wasn’t Jewish. She didn’t wear the uniform of the IDF (though I suspect she’d have been honored to). Olga Meshoe Washington was a dynamic young South African native, a devout Chrisitan, who put Israel’s defense only second to her family: husband Joshua, sons Ezra and Judah, her parents Rev. Kenneth Meshoe (a member of the South African parliament and head of the African Christian Democratic Party) and her late mother Lydia who died just two years before; and her extended family.

Minus the IDF uniform, Olga was every bit as much a warrior for Israel. Accordingly, in her memory and honor, unique accommodations have been made to bury Olga not in her native South Africa or adopted home state North Carolina, but in Israel, literally in the Land and among the people who she loved and for which she advocated relentlessly.

Olga’s death is being felt and mourned literally around the world. It’s evident from a truly overwhelming outpouring of condolences and memories of her too short life, that she made a unique and indeed very personal impact on tens of thousands. There are many stories, memories, and inspirations that those of us who were privileged to know Olga will take with us. Many Jews and Israelis, like me, are not only mourning, but feel compelled to share about her life, so that millions of other Jews and Israelis will understand what a great loss we have all experienced, collectively, even if we never knew much less heard of Olga.

Reflecting her life, following Olga’s social media one sees two main things reflected today that were the center of her life: her family and her advocacy for Israel and the Jewish people. Being South African, she was particularly busy counteracting the slanderous antisemitic actions of the South African government in recent years, something for which her voice was clear and respected. Allegations that Israel was an apartheid state that it was committing war crimes and genocide, are things that Olga refuted easily, with intelligence, clarity, and poise.

This week, a group of friends and colleagues gathered virtually from four continents, to reflect in a deeply emotional conversation about Olga and her life. We are all mourning, but just as in the Jewish tradition to visit a house of mourning to comfort the mourners, by sharing stories of her life, we found this to be a comfort to ourselves, and also a way to reflect on Olga’s greatness.

Olga was described in Biblical terms, like Ruth, who gave up everything that she could have been as a young partner in a major South African law firm to devote her life and energy to Israel. People described her warmth, her wisdom, that she’s irreplaceable. At 44, she did so much in her life; it’s overwhelming to imagine what she could have done, and what we all have lost. One noted that it feels like the earth shifted off its axis. Underscoring the huge impact she made, someone shared that others were contacting her saying, “I felt so close to Olga but now seeing that everyone was so close to Olga.”

The hardest part of the conversation was talking to her young sons, so that when they are ready, when they want the women they will marry to know about their mother, they can get a glimpse of Olga’s greatness and can remember her through others. Hopefully this will be a comfort to Olga’s sons and extended family, and also to inspire others – Jews and Christians – to pick up the torch she carried so high, and run with it. (You can see the entire conversation here.)

Olga’s legacy will surely continue in her children, described as royalty coming from two families of Christian Zionist leaders, but also in the lives of the many whom she touched. Being buried in Israel is not something to be taken lightly, especially when it comes with involvement of the office of the President. Indeed, it’s unprecedented. In her death, as in her life, Olga’s memory and legacy is a lasting testimony. She will be laid to rest on January 22, followed by memorials in South Africa and North Carolina, amid thousands of mourners, Jews and Christians coming together in solidarity to honor her.

In Jewish tradition, participating in someone’s funeral is a Biblical obligation known as a “chesed shel emet,” an act of loving kindness at its most pure because it can never be repaid to help the family defray the significant cost of burial in Israel, with everything involved, a crowd funding campaign has been established for people around the world to contribute to her burial. The funeral will also be live streamed for those who wish to participate virtually.

Olga Meshoe Washington was a friend, natural leader, mentor, brave warrior, woman of devout faith, and an inspiration and source of wisdom, and guidance to us all. We pray that her family will be comforted by the outpouring of love and support from around the world, and that we will measure up to continue Olga’s legacy and radiate her light and legacy. Writing about someone in the past tense means accepting that she’s no longer with us, which is one of the hardest things for those who knew her. But we take strength from the words that Olga would comfort us with, “All is well.”

Rest in peace, dear Olga. We will always remember you with fondness, reflecting your smile even amid our loss. Your legacy lives on with us, and you and your love for Israel will never be forgotten.

About the writer:

Jonathan Feldstein - President of the US based non-profit Genesis123 Foundation whose mission is to build bridges between Jews and Christians – is a freelance writer whose articles appear in The Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, Townhall, NorthJersey.com, Algemeiner Jornal, The Jewish Press, major Christian websites and more.

REMEMBERING A WOMAN OF VALOUR

In Loving Tribute to Olga Meshoe Washington
14 September 1981 – 6 January 2025

By Rolene Marks

How does one put into words the devastation that so many of us around the world are feeling about the passing of the remarkable Olga Meshoe Washington? I never thought I would ever be writing those words. It is unimaginable. The brightest light has left us. I have started this tribute several times but it is so hard to fathom writing about the radiant and brilliant Olga in the past tense? Maybe if I do not write in the past tense it will not be true.

**Charismatic Speaker**. A sought-after figure on the global speaking circuit, Olga addressed organizations like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Christians United for Israel, and the World Jewish Congress. In 2022, she spoke at the United Nations Human Rights Council and participated in a UNHRC side event in Geneva.

As news of Olga’s passing reverberated around the world, tributes poured in. Organisations, individuals, politicians, media – people who had known Olga personally and others who connected with her through her work, everyone felt the shockwaves of grief. I do not think there was a corner of the globe that was not impacted by Olga. The magnitude of love and sorrow is testament to the impact that she had during her life.

Olga was simply magnificent. In every way. I used to call her Queen Olga – because she carried herself with regal bearing, treating each person as if they were the most important in the room.

**Rolled up her Sleeves**. On her way in 2023 to Israel to attend The Jerusalem Post’s “Top 25 Young ViZionaries” awards ceremony, she landed in Ben Gurion Airport on October 7th to a country at war. Instead of turning back, Olga got right to work and with Jewish National Fund-USA participating in a number of projects such as packing supplies and working out of the organization’s situation room. “My experiences,” she later said, “only strengthened my resolve to tell the truth and to be an ally to Israel and encourage others to be an ally to the Jewish people.”

Olga was a daughter of Africa, passionate about her beloved South Africa – but for many of us in Israel and for Jewish communities around the world, she was one of ours as well. Daughter of Africa – and daughter of Zion.

If ever there was anyone who embodied an Eshet Chayil, a woman of valour, it was Olga Meshoe Washington. Olga was a woman of unparalleled integrity and moral clarity.

**Father and Daughter**. Olga with her father, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) leader in South Africa’s parliament, Reverend Kenneth Meshoe.

It was not just that she was an extremely gifted orator or brilliant in her chosen career as a lawyer, Olga was a formidable advocate for Israel and the Jewish people. Olga shone as a speaker and debater – and her opponents were swiftly put in their place with facts and conviction. Her love and dedication to Israel and the Jewish people was unwavering – as was her Christian faith.

**Watching out for Israel**. IBSI Board Member for ‪@unwatch, Olga Meshoe-Washington addresses the United Nations Council of Inquiry against Israel who on the Israel “apartheid” libel, said: “It trivializes the humiliation and injustices endured by black South Africans who lived through apartheid and who still, together with their descendants, bear the scars of its legacy.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8J9i7oIN-k

Olga was involved with so many organisations at the highest levels. She founded and directed the pro-Israel Christian lobby group DEISI (Defend, Embrace, Invest, Support Israel), was named one of 25 young visionaries by The Jerusalem Post, served as chief operating officer of Club Z, a US Zionist youth movement, spoke at a UN Human Rights Council event and was part of the family of so many other organisations. Everyone felt the unique magic that Olga sprinkled with her faith, devotion, support and love.

It is not just Olga’s work that shone. Her love for her family and friends were paramount. Olga married Joshua and became a mother to the two most gorgeous little boys. Our hearts are aching for the Meshoe and Washington families at this unfathomable loss.

In these dark months of war, my phone would ring at night and it would be Olga, checking in to see if my husband and I were okay, to offer a prayer but most important to listen and advise. It was always an honour to share ideas and sometimes a giggle over something pop culture with Olga.

**Always an Eye out for Israel**. “EYE ON ISRAEL” host Shahar Azani (Executive Director, StandWithUs Northeast Region) speaks with Olga. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp7GKh6Kgl8&t=13s)

Olga always had opinions and perspective, most often grounded in her faith and her values. I was also privileged to share a panel with her once or twice and host her for World WIZO during the pandemic and she just mesmerized everyone with her intelligence and her vibrant personality.

Olga will be laid to rest in Israel, the country she loved so much and fought so valiantly not just to defend but also embraced and invested her commitment and her love.

**Eternal Enrichment**. Olga and her family on a visit to her beloved Israel where she will be laid to rest at the Tel Regev Cemetery, near Haifa.

In his tribute post to his beloved wife, Olga’s husband Joshua referred to the heavens applauding for the life she led. The heavens are applauding – and so are we, Olga. Yours was a life lived impeccably and you are absolutely irreplaceable. Your legacy will live on in all of us.

Our hearts embrace the Meshoe and Washington families. May Olga rest in power – and may her memory be eternally blessed.

IBSI Board Member, Olga Meshoe-Washington at the UN in Geneva

***************************************************************

The funeral will be January 22nd 2024, at the Tel Regev Cemetery near Haifa.
Shuttles will be available from Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa.

To register for one of the shuttles to the cemetery, please use this link: https://forms.gle/rfUbVq6NgbSjK1Nn7

The ceremony will also be live streamed for everyone abroad.
Hope you will be able to join us in giving a unique and befitting farewell to such an amazing woman, that gave so much of herself to and for this country and our cause.
To help defray the costs of the funeral for the family and donate from the US please click here: https://genesis123foundation.revv.co/olga
To donate from anywhere else in the world please click here:
https://www.runforzion.com/rememberingolga

****************************************************************

Category: A Special Breed

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