From Bokker Tome, Florida, this is Behind the Bima.

On this episode, Rabbi Goldberg and co-host Rabbi Josh Brody are joined by Yiddhya Karush,

a recent evacuee of the Shlomit community and a decorated elite IDF soldier.

And joined by Donna Cohen, wife of the late Aviad Cohen, a heroic security volunteer who lost his life protecting a neighboring community.

Yadidija and Donna discussed the circumstances of their life in Shlameh,

Yadidya's personal experiences in the IDF, and the challenges they face as they navigate the aftermath of the tragic loss of Aviad.

They also highlight the strength and unity of the Jewish community, reflect on their individual commitments to their nation and people, and share powerful, transformative stories of courage, resilience, and faith

in the face of adversity. All this and more, Behind the Bima. Welcome to the newest episode

of Behind the Bima, joined by my dear friend and colleague Rabbi Josh Brody, and this promises

to be a very, very powerful conversation.

Yet another one, every behind the Bima has been focused on Israel and bringing to you real people

and real heroes and real front lines. And on this episode, we're going to speak to Yidditya Harush,

the founder, a leader of the Shalmit community, Chuta, the border of Gaza, Egypt, and Israel,

who's now serving in the army, and Donna Kohn, the wife of Aviad Khan Hashem Yikom Dama,

who on October 7th, a volunteer security person who was killed, who gave his life protecting

a neighboring community as the Hamas terrorists came in, and incredible people, they were

in Boko recently in a conversation

that is just going to really, really transform your life, really, really, really powerful.

Rabbi Bray, a lot of people planning to go to Israel.

Yeshiva week is coming up. Some people going on vacation elsewhere. Some people go into Israel.

I personally have no judgment. People made their plans. People are locked into their plans. I do believe that as best we can. It's wonderful to go to Israel at every opportunity. Israel, I don't want to say it is in a state of crisis because they're strong and they're fighting and they're incredible. But obviously in the middle of a war and anyone who can pivot and go, it's wonderful, those who can I don't think any of us should be in judgment of them. Everyone's got their own story. Obviously, we should be sensitive, what we post and what we share and where we are and so on. But, you know, we're planning on going back to Israel. And I know you've been there three times. Do you have anything on the horizon coming up?

First of all, I do wish, and it's still not out of the picture that I might be in Israel. I hope to be there. No plans on being there right now. But I do have a family, Simcha, in a place called Chicago. And when I tell people, I'm going to Chicago for a bar mitzvah, they say, you know, people doing in in in in chicago for winter break they leave chicago but i'm going but i'm going five degrees there right now and if the flight gets

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