Prominent Rebbetzins and religious Zionist female public figures alongside the Minister of Environmental Protection Idit Silman met this week with the mothers and wives of the abductees.
Rebbetzins from religious Zionism participated in the meeting: Rebbetzin Hana Katan, Rebbetzin Yehudit Shilat, Rebbetzin Malka Piotrkovski, Rebbetzin Leah Wiesel, Rebbetzin Merav Tobul Kahana, Rebbetzin Michal Tykochinsky, Chairman of the Emunah Movement Yifat Sela, Rebbetzin Tirza Kalman, Rebbetzin Noa Lewis, Rebbetzin Michal Vared, and Rebbetzin Racheli Frankel Spracher.
In a conversation with the rabbis who participated in the meeting, it appears that it was a significant meeting for all the participants. Each one introduced herself and elaborated on her feelings with reference to the current situation in which the state of Israel finds itself. The Rebbetzins heard and strengthened the families of the abductees and they plan to continue cooperating together to increase unity and action in the nation in collaboration with the youth movements and people from the field.
"After the disaster that befell us I learned to know the people heart to heart regardless of their political opinion"
Shelly Shem Tov, the mother of Omer who was kidnapped to Gaza, said: "On 7.10 the reality of the Jewish people in general and the people of Israel in particular changed and from this difficult reality I realized that we as a nation need to make a change. That my son Omer was kidnapped and there is a greater reason for this than our personal story as a family, and from the great difficulty, the understanding has come that change must be brought about. The people of Israel prove their unity in the way of a moving mutual guarantee for the families of the abductees, the evacuees and our heroic soldiers with the help of prayers and good deeds and this unity must be preserved out of the personal responsibility of each of us to examine what within me I can change to bring about the preservation of this unity and learn to accept the other as he is.
Until October 7th I didn't really know the whole of Israel and different sectors became a headline (Right, left, ultra-orthodox and more..) After the disaster that befell us I learned to know the people from all sectors I learned to see their beauty and really know them heart to heart regardless of their political opinion I learned to respect and accept the other and to understand that we don't have to agree in our opinion and only if we get to know each other can we cause change to happen and spread the light and from this place the meeting with the Rebbetzins who gave their time and came to know us was woven. I came to know powerful women who for me are a force for the great change that the people of Israel need now and together we will succeed in uniting and connecting the people and with God's help we will succeed."