A mother of three, Keren was at home with her husband and two youngest children when the attack began. As gunfire and explosions echoed through the kibbutz, she acted swiftly, barricading her family inside their safe room. With nothing but sheer instinct and determination, she devised a method to reinforce the door—then shared it in a WhatsApp group, helping neighbors across the kibbutz do the same. For 26 harrowing hours, she and her children remained hidden, their world reduced to whispers and silence as gunmen stormed homes just outside their door. 

Through it all, Keren found strength not only in protecting her family but also in helping others survive. In the aftermath, she continues to share her story, offering a deeply personal perspective on resilience in the face of terror.  

Harel, head of Kibbutz Re’im’s small security squad, had no time to hesitate when the attack began. As rockets rained down, he joined five other defenders—armed with only handguns and a single M16—to hold off over 100 heavily armed terrorists attempting to overrun the kibbutz. They were vastly outnumbered and outgunned, but through sheer will and strategic defense, they managed to delay the attackers, giving others a chance to survive. 

Harel’s connection to Kibbutz Re’im runs deep—his father was one of its founders, and he himself was born and raised there. Despite the devastation, leaving was never an option. “I don’t see anywhere else that I can live,” he has said, embodying the spirit of those who refuse to be driven from their home. 

Together, Keren and Harel’s story is not just one of survival—it is a testament to the power of courage, community, and the unbreakable human spirit.