Readers may recall that some time ago I wrote about a young reservist called David,(not his real name), who was struggling somewhat with his faith following October 7th. On the morning of Yom HaShoah, at 4 a.m., he sent me the following: “It’s 4am and I got out of Lebanon, couldn’t sleep so typed up my thoughts, feelings and emotions I wanted to share them with you.

Today, stepping out of Lebanon for a few hours, the noise quiets, but only on the outside.

The past two weeks have been intense. Long days, little sleep, constant tension. Two of our soldiers are now in the hospital, and that reality does not stay behind when you leave to rest. It comes with you. You carry it in your thoughts, in the silence, in the moments when everything suddenly slows down. Today is Yom Hashoah.

It is impossible not to feel the weight of it. A day of remembrance for a time when Jews had no army, no protection, no place to stand and defend themselves. A time when entire families were left vulnerable, when survival depended on chance, courage, and the hope that someone, somewhere, might stand up.

And here I am, in uniform.

Part of a generation that does stand. Part of a country that can defend itself. There is a massive contrast, and it is not something I take for granted for a second. The siren today does not just remember them. It connects us to them. It reminds us that their story did not end there. It continues through us, through the choices we make, and through the responsibility we carry.

On my uniform, I wear a patch which reads, “Never again is now.”

It is simple, but it says everything. It is not just a statement about the past. It is a responsibility in the present. A reminder that what we are doing here, even in the hardest moments, is part of that promise.

There is a strange contrast in it all. On one hand, I am physically removed from the front for a few days rest. On the other, mentally, I am still there with my unit, with the injured, with everything we have been through.

And then there is home.

My incredible wife and my kids. Life continuing........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)