Survivors from October 7 attacks share stories in Naples

When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, it wasn’t just a turning point for the Middle East. It shocked the entire world.

WINK News has covered many stories about lives forever altered through death, destruction and war.

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People who survived the attacks have been rebuilding their lives every day for the past four months.

On Thursday, some went to Naples to share their stories of resilience. In a packed room of nearly 100 people, four shared their stories.

After that day, their lives changed. Each of the survivors who spoke lost loved ones, children, spouses and friends.

They’re all from the same village: Kfar Aza, a community that’s been destroyed. They’re working to piece it back together.

“It was the start to the longest day in my life that I finished in the helicopter,” said Sergei Yankelevitch, a survivor.

Describing the horror of terrorists overruning their Kibbutz in Kfar Aza.

Hiding alone as terrorists shot up her home, Kazir had no clue if her husband was dead or alive.

“After half an hour, I realized if he doesn’t come, he’s not alive,” Kazir said.

To a husband and father on a trip to California praying his wife and children would make it out, to a father trying to protect his two kids and a young woman separated from her brothers, they all lost loved ones and returned to a village that was unrecognizable.

“We are now in deep darkness, but we have to find our light, and from day to day, that light becomes bigger,” said Doron Admoni, a survivor.

Kfar Aza has forever changed. So many in the community are dead, its buildings are destroyed, five people are still being held hostage to this day and survivors are scattered all over the nation.

The survivors said they want it to be rebuilt. They don’t know how, but they know it should, and they will work tirelessly to do so and seeing the Southwest Florida Jewish community and those all over the world rally behind them gives them faith.

Thursday’s event raised awareness for the Kfar Aza Foundation, which aims to help this community recover and rebuild.

Mental health improvement is one of the foundation’s main goals.

Click here to learn more about the foundation and ways you can help.