Unity Amid Adversity: Passover Takes on New Meaning for Bereaved Families

OneFamily retreat offers support and strength this Passover as families feel a new layer of sorrow due to the trauma of the Oct. 7 attacks

Every year, Jewish families gather around the Passover Seder table to retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The story is one of sorrow but also resilience and triumph. However, this year, the message held a sad new meaning as Jewish families worldwide prepared to retell the Passover story while still dealing with the trauma of the Oct. 7 terror attacks in southern Israel and the country’s ongoing war with Hamas.

Sadly, thousands of families of those killed or taken hostage on that harrowing day are still suffering. The journey of the Passover story, from oppression to liberation, remains a distant dream for those still living in the aftermath of Oct 7.

To help support newly widowed spouses and their children during these difficult times, the OneFamily organization held an uplifting three-day Passover retreat in a hotel in Jerusalem. Around 100 families in need of emotional support gathered together to observe the holiday, finding strength in each other. With the help of psychologists and OneFamily professionals, the families participated in activities for kids, such as singing and dancing, all designed to make this holiday easier. On the event’s last day, The Media Line joined the families and heard heartbreaking stories about their departed loved ones.

They heard that there was a catastrophe going on. They didn’t ask questions; they took their weapons and just ran out to save people.

“For the last three days, many widows told us their stories,” OneFamily CEO Chantal Belzberg shared with The Media Line. “On the 7th of October, their husbands just ran out to help and selflessly dedicated their lives. They heard that there was a catastrophe going on. They didn’t ask questions; they took their weapons and just ran out to save people,” she added.

Chantal Belzberg (CEO, OneFamily), Hadar, Shira Raziel, Mindee Levenger (Jerusalem Coordinator, OneFamily) (Meir Pavlovsky, OneFamily)

Belzberg said that the families who attended the retreat were all grappling with the holiday physically, mentally, and emotionally. “Holidays like Passover are typically a time of joy and togetherness, but this year, the families were simply not in a position to celebrate. The preparations, the work involved, it was all too much for them,” she shared.

Belzberg emphasized that the most inspiring aspect of this Passover retreat was that her organization’s members could bring families some joy. “The three days were filled with adventures, with happy moments, with kids, and lots of fun,” she explained.

Yael Bibi, one of the retreat’s participants, shared with The Media Line a story about her son, Major Oriel Bibi, a distinguished army commander from Kfar Saba who was posthumously honored with excellence by the IDF Commander in Chief after he bravely perished on Oct. 7.

Major Oriel Bibi. (Courtesy)

Oriel was raised and educated in Kfar Saba and graduated from Noam and Atzmona seminaries. At 30, he married Nehama and became a father to Yaara and Gefen. He served as an IDF Paratrooper Brigade officer. Oriel had also dedicated 15 years to being a volunteer with MDA. Guided by his unwavering moral compass, Oriel began volunteering with MDA at 14 and completed a medic’s course before joining the army. Throughout his military service, he consistently volunteered for duty, driven by his commitment to saving lives.

On Oct. 7, upon hearing of the tragedy unfolding, Oriel immediately left his home in the Shlomit settlement in Hevel Shalom to fulfill his lifelong mission of defending his homeland and saving lives.

Liad, Assaf and Ori Biton (Meir Pavlovsky, OneFamily)

As a testament to his legacy of saving lives, Oriel’s family – his mother, Yael, his father, Zion, and his siblings Shalhevet and Ortal – is spearheading the establishment of a Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) at the MDA station in Kfar Saba. This MICU, bearing his name, will benefit Kfar Saba residents and serve as a living embodiment of the spirit of service and dedication that Oriel cherished.

According to Yael, during his army service, Oriel had published a supportive note for soldiers completing their army training:

“A warrior is always a warrior. He doesn’t fight to kill; he fights for the good to win, not out of hatred of his enemy but of love for his homeland. It is a connection to something much bigger that unites us all, the people of Israel in the Land of Israel,” his note said.

Yael told The Media Line: “It is important for us to be among other people, get together, and not be left alone. We are thrilled to be here on this Passover. Thanks to the organization, we could enjoy the holiday.”

My son would be very happy to see us happy. If we are not happy, then his death is in vain. We are sitting there because of his sacrifice. He defended the country. He defended us.

“My son would be very happy to see us happy. If we are not happy, then his death is in vain. We are sitting there because of his sacrifice. He defended the country. He defended us,” Yael added.

Yael and Ortal Bibi (Meir Pavlovsky, OneFamily)

Meanwhile, other attendees of the Passover retreat, Ori and Assaf Biton and their son Liad, shared with the Media Line details of their beloved daughter and sister, Sergeant Shir Biton, and her untimely death on Oct. 7. Shir, a 19-year-old medic in the Gaza Division from Ashdod, was killed while battling Hamas terrorists at the Nahal Oz outpost.

On that fateful Saturday morning, when rocket sirens blared, Shir immediately ran to the shelter and informed her parents about the terrorist infiltration.

“On December 7th, at around 6:45 a.m., Shir woke up and went to the safe room. While there, she heard gunshots but didn’t understand what was happening. She sent us a WhatsApp message saying they heard rockets and feared an invasion. Shir reassured us that everything was okay and asked how we were doing. That was the last time she contacted us,” Liad shared with The Media Line.

Shir Biton with her family. (Courtesy)

The family found out about the tragic death of Shir only two days later.

“Shir shot at one terrorist trying to infiltrate the room. After she killed him, she told her friends how many were out there – around 150 terrorists had infiltrated their base,” Liad further explained.

The Biton family added that Shir had fatal grenade injuries and that her room in the military base was burned.

Shir had been a dedicated volunteer with the Magen David Adom emergency service. After completing her mandatory army service, she dreamed of becoming a doctor. To keep her memory alive, Shir’s parents decided to purchase an MDA ambulance.

“Her dream was to become a doctor. Her life goal was to help people,” said Liad, who added that she loved training at the gym and could lift impressive weights.

Chantal Belzberg (CEO, OneFamily), Moria Gispan and family. (Meir Pavlovsky, OneFamily)

“There are so many stories about people in the gym who watched in disbelief at how many weights she could lift,” added Liad.

“Her daily routine was such a big weight as well. Everything she did, she did to the extreme. In school, she got the best grades. She always studied and was in one of the best classes,” he gushed.

Shir’s family told The Media Line that everyone in her friend’s group told them how kind and loving she was and that she always made sure to help anyone in need.

Also in attendance at the Passover retreat was Shira Raziel, whose husband, Moshe Yedidya Raziel, was killed on Oct. 7 while fighting Hamas terrorists who tried to infiltrate Kibbutz Kerem Shalom.

Shira Raziel and Moshe Yedidya Raziel. (Courtesy)

He was a member of the kibbutz’s local security team and was posthumously recognized as a fallen soldier with the rank of Master Sergeant in the reserves. He was buried on Oct. 11 on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

Moshe is survived by his wife Shira, their three children Tzuri (7), Tair (5), and Hadar (2), as well as his parents Rachel and Yisrael, and his five siblings: Noga, Gideon, Tzila, Ariel, and Leah.

According to Shira, Moshe and the other members of the kibbutz’s security team were gathered early in the morning on Oct. 7 when the rocket fire began. They split up into pairs to battle against the invading Hamas terrorists in the small kibbutz, situated only around 100 meters from the Gaza border.

Memorial candles set up to remember loved ones at OneFamily’s Passover retreat for bereaved families. (Meir Pavlovsky, OneFamily)

In the ensuing gun battles, Moshe was killed alongside his friend and fellow local security team member after eliminating terrorists who had holed up inside a family home. The rest of the kibbutz was saved and later evacuated alive, although two were seriously wounded.

“We are used to bombing, but this time it was different. It was a tough attack. We didn’t know what was happening. But when we started hearing the shooting, Moshe took his gun and went out, and the kids and I went straight to the shelter,” Shira told The Media Line.

He was compassionate, a great man to talk to, and he knew how to listen. Everyone talked to him. He was very funny and had a big sense of humor. He was very young and, simultaneously, a serious man.

“He was compassionate, a great man to talk to, and he knew how to listen. Everyone talked to him. He was very funny and had a big sense of humor. He was very young and, simultaneously, a serious man,” said Shira Raziel.

Shira shared that she was happy to join the OneFamily Passover Retreat, especially seeing her children enjoy it.

“The children were so happy here. We did a lot of activities, and it was amazing to see them like this. Everything is hard for me now, but the children had a lot of fun,” she said.

The Passover retreat was also a source of solace for the family of Livnat Levi, a 27-year-old resident of Kiryat Ono, who was tragically murdered by Hamas terrorists while attending the Supernova music festival on Oct. 7. She had gone to the rave with four friends, including Hadar Hoshen. However, only three of them survived, as Livnat and Hadar were killed while trying to seek shelter.

Livnat was considered missing for almost two weeks before her body was discovered. She was laid to rest on Oct. 18 in Petah Tikva. Livnat is survived by her parents, Yoav and Zimrat, and her nine siblings, four sisters and five brothers. She was murdered just ten days before her 28th birthday. Before her untimely death, Livnat had returned from months of traveling abroad and worked for a law firm.

Livnat Levi. (Courtesy)

Her sister Moria shared memories of Livnat with The Media Line.

“She was a very good and happy person. She was dreaming of traveling all over the world. Not so long before Nova, Livnat returned from Brazil. She always helped me with my daughter; she was my babysitter for a while … and she helped me reach a lot of dreams. She was generous, smiling and she was very happy all the time. We miss her and her laugh,” Moria said.