These Four Babies Give Us Hope

March 22, 2024

Kibbutz Be’eri, the closest community to the Nova Music Festival, was devastated on October 7 and suffered the greatest losses of any town that day.

Around seventy Hamas terrorists attacked the kibbutz and at least ninety-six people were killed in the attack, including women, such as peace activist Vivian Silver, children, toddlers, and one infant. 10% of the farming community’s residents were murdered that day and dozens of homes were burned down. Twenty-six Kibbutz members were taken hostage, eleven of whom have still not been released and at least five are reported dead.

Michal, Bar, Noa, and Ariel, four women from Kibbutz Be’eri, fled with the rest of their community to the Dead Sea following the brutal day. These women were all in the final few weeks of their pregnancies when the attack occurred.

Sheba Medical Center took responsibility for the health and success of their pregnancies at their Dead Sea hotel.

The Sheba Maternity team journeyed south to provide essential care for pregnant women displaced by the attack. Equipped with ultrasound devices and portable monitors from Sheba Beyond’s remote OB-GYN program, they offered the first reassurance since the traumatic event, ensuring the well-being of both mother and child.

Since then, three of the women gave birth in Sheba’s maternity department, and one gave birth at home.

“Sheba was the address from the first moment. A team from Sheba came to our hotel in the Dead Sea, right at the beginning of the war, and from that moment it was just simple and there was always someone to turn to,” said Michal.

Our spirits will not be dimmed by adversity. And the smiles on the faces of these four women tell us that from the ashes of the most terrible acts, come four promises of the future. Of better days ahead.

We will stand and prevail together. And you can help Sheba perform these miracles.

As Mordechai says to Esther in the Purim story we will tell this weekend: “Who knows if you were born to this time and place for just such a moment as this?”

Am Yisrael Chai.

Brian

P.S. If you want to experience this resilience and Sheba’s strength in person, join our Women’s Mission to Israel, March 31 to April 4th. More information can be found here.