Rudy Rochman, a Jewish rights activist with a large social media following, facilitated a conversation between two October 7 survivors and a group of young professionals in London on Wednesday.
The event, organized by the Jewish Learning Exchange (JLE), was attended by 250 young professionals who heard from husband and wife October 7 survivors, Shaled and Yifrat Porat.
Rabbi Dov Cowan, Director of JLE Young Professionals, introduced the survivors, explaining to the audience that “whilst we are still processing the horrific attack of October 7, the hostages and the ongoing war, the victims themselves are still reeling, still in the very midst of their trauma and loss.”
The Porats were residents of Kibbutz Mefalsim, a small kibbutz of around 1000 people on the Gaza border in southern Israel. Kibbutz Mefalsim partnered with UJIA as part of an initiative to connect kibbutzim with diaspora communities.
The Porats witnessed the murder of their family, friends, and community members on October 7.
The pair had moved from central Israel to the Kibbutz because they wanted to raise a family within a kibbutz community. They have three children, ages 6, 10, and 12.
“Before this past October, life was 90% heaven,” Yifat said, “Everyone knew each other, helped each other. The 10% of hell of life in our kibbutz was the rockets and scares that happened periodically, threats from the neighboring Gaza strip”.
The Porat family's story of survival
On October 7, Shaked received a message from the kibbutz volunteer security squad, of which he was a member. He grabbed his weapon and phone and left the house to protect his community against the invading terrorists.
He found himself under heavy fire as he ran to protect the kibbutz.
While Shaked fought off the terrorists, Yafet and their three children closed themselves in their home’s shelter.
Yafet recounted how, while trying to keep her children safe and calm, she saw the shadow of a man trying to open the door to the shelter.
Without phone reception or electricity, Yafet was left to protect her children without any information or communication.
The terrorists knew the layout of the kibbutz, the pair said.
After a grueling wait, at 11 AM on October 8, the Israeli air force conducted a targeted strike on 130 terrorists who had gathered around the kibbutz.
Two days after Hamas’s attack, the kibbutz was left in ruins and was full of dead bodies, the pair described.
The Porat family, together with the other surviving Kibbutz members, relocated to Herziliya.
Shaked concluded his account by saying, “Some people see it as a story of survival... It was not bravery, it was a battle for survival, filled with miracles. Our kibbutz was lucky. We want to return to the kibbutz in July, but life will never be the same. It is this feeling of togetherness that has kept us going as a nation, and we feel it here tonight in London, too. To witness over 250 young people listening to our story today. You are also the frontline of Jewish people today, fighting antisemitism in the UK. We are one big family, one nation with one heart. Am Yisrael Chai”.
Fighting Hamas in Gaza and southern Israel
Rochman returned to active duty as a paratrooper in the IDF following Hamas’s attacks and fought in Gaza for several weeks. He told the attendees about his war experiences and exposed the war tactics and human rights abuses of Hamas.
Rochman’s unit was first deployed in Kfar Aza, clearing the kibbutz of large groups of Hamas terrorists, and then in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. He spoke of the propaganda materials he found in Gaza and of the terror infostructure and tunnels he encountered.
Fighting antisemitism on campus
Rochman also spoke with Sacha Johnstone, JLE Young Professional Consultant, and discussed the mass student protests and “encampments” at Columbia and New York Universities.
Speaking of his experiences fighting antisemitism on campus, Rochman emphasized the need to keep cool in navigating anti-Israel hatred. He insisted, “As Jews, we come from a long line before us and need to write the next chapter. We need to know who we are and be proud of it”.
Rabbi Benjy Morgan, CEO of the JLE, shared, “We are honored to have heard survivors of October 7th, true heroes of our People, and to have been motivated by the sheer activism of Rudy Rochman. Today, our situation as a nation could be seen as dire, but people like Yafet, Shaked, and Rudy have shown us that we must be proud of who we are and do what is right. This is a message for Jewish people everywhere. At the JLE, we want everyone to be proud of their Jewish heritage and identity.”