My October 7th Story

On Friday October 6th, as my husband was getting ready for bed, minutes before midnight, our family in Israel contacted us to let us know that a terror attack was going on in the south of Israel. My husband has a family in Kibbutz Saad, right on the border with Gaza. No one knew yet the extent of the attack or the horrors that would unfold in the next 48 hours. We spent that Saturday sitting by our phones waiting for updates, texting everyone we knew to check on how they were doing.

If you ever lived in an area or at time when a terror attack took place, you know the feeling: the shock, the feeling of uncertainty, the fear for your loved ones. You also know the urge to do something, to help. The stories of people going out of their way to help others in Israel are heartwarming and uplifting. They give so much hope and remind us all that in times of crisis people go above and beyond to help each other. I felt I had to do something that Saturday too. My heart was aching from the news yet I live so far away I didn’t know what to do.

Around noon, it was already later in the evening in Israel. I knew that no Israeli was going to go to sleep that night. Some of the kibbutzim and little towns in the south were still under attack since early that morning and the entire country was on edge waiting for updates. That’s when I realized that there was one thing that I could do. I could help those who needed to relax and rest for a few minutes after a night without sleep. I could offer Paula sessions. I contacted my Paula Method teacher friends in Israel and I asked them if they would want to join me on a community project. Within an hour I had a list of volunteer teachers who offered to give free community classes that week and possibly beyond, if necessary.

On the next day, October 8th, we started our community project of free Paula Method classes over zoom. We were surprised by the number of people who joined us for these classes and how the news about our little project spread. In the three weeks that we ran the free community classes we had participants from all over the country. We heard sad stories from people who joined, we cried, and we hurt; we connected with each other and with our aching hearts. We listened to our bodies, we relaxed and breathed a little deeper than before.

Some of the participants had to leave the classes and run to the bomb shelter when rockets were fired over their towns. Some people were not home as they had to evacuate from the south and the north of Israel. Children and other family members kept showing up on the screens not realizing we were in session. Loud news reporters on TV were heard when people joined class and forgot to mute their microphones. (The news broadcasts were on 24/7 in every house during those first few weeks of the war). It was both chaotic yet serene, all at the same time. People created peaceful moments for themselves in the midst of the most horrible time for Israel.

People told us that the Paula lessons we offered were the only time they could find some comfort and ease in their bodies and hearts. One of the most interesting things I noticed was that pets often chose to be with their humans during the sessions. On almost every screen I saw a dog or a cat resting by its owner or lying on them. They too needed some comfort and relaxation.

It was a small contribution on my behalf to organize and host the community classes, but it allowed me to feel close to my people and to offer some help. Other than these classes, I could barely do anything else in the last 40 something days. I kept teaching my group lessons and seeing my clients for private sessions, but the rest of the time I too was consumed by the news. I didn’t send a newsletter and couldn’t upload a new episode of my podcast. Even my daily time in nature, which I love so much, became rare. It is too soon to tell in what ways our lives will change now after the October 7th attack; but for sure none of us will ever be the same.