By Ari Wohl
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On October 6, 2023, my father flew from California to Arizona to spend time with me while I worked during the fall break of my college semester at Arizona State University. The next day, we woke up to news of the horrific events that occurred in Israel, and while I watched and heard the stories, it was very difficult to truly imagine the extent of the horror.
On Thursday, July 9, I could.
I drove down the same roads that the Hamas terrorists did and saw the streets where the innocent people in Sderot were killed. I stood at the memorial outside the police station where the battles took place. I went to Tkuma and looked at the burnt cars. I read the stories of people who attempted to flee the Nova Music Festival, only to be killed by terrorists who were waiting on the road.
Part 1: Community Service
Our day began with a bus journey from Tel Aviv to Sderot. Sderot is a small city of approximately 40,000 people, located less than a mile from Gaza. In the neighborhood of Ne’ot Aviv, we built benches for IDF soldiers.
We split up into groups of six. Nobody at our work station knew how to build a bench, but we assembled and painted it in about two hours.
I felt pride knowing that there is now a part of Israel that I helped build. There were a few soldiers who watched us while we built it, and they told us how thankful they were. Considering what each of these soldiers has gone through, I am grateful and humbled to provide them with anything.
Part 2: The Police Station
After building our benches, we walked to the police station. We learned the story of what happened there on October 7. Hamas terrorists entered the town and took control of the police station. Many people in the town heard the gunfire and sirens and went to the police station for help, and did not expect the terrorists to be there already.
What struck me most about the experience was reading the biographies of the people who lost their lives at the station that day. Reading about a drummer, or sound engineer, or sports fan made me think of the people in my life with similar passions.
What was also particularly impactful was seeing the bomb shelters on the side of the road throughout the city. When an alarm goes off, the people of Sderot have about 90 seconds from alarm to possible impact. As a result, the shelters are everywhere, including children’s playgrounds.
I sat on the bus thinking of what these children go through and what they are raised to understand. At any time, an alarm could go off, and what happens in the next minute could be life or death.
It truly put things into perspective about the lives these people live, and how blessed I am to live the life that I do.
Part 3: Tkuma
At Tkuma, we visited the “car wall”. Included in the pile of cars are many that were driving on the infamous Route 232 and leaving the Nova Music Festival. Like the police station, the stories of the people in those cars are available to read.
Following October 7, it took a very long time for family members to find out what happened to their loved ones at the Nova Music Festival. The phones, cameras, and backpacks that were abandoned in the cars became the last tangible things left behind.
It was particularly emotional because it was just feet in front of me. I was standing right beside the car that these people were killed in. I could see the bullet holes on the door and the charred coating. It is one thing to hear about the number of people who lost their lives, but another to see their faces, read their stories, and look inside the car that they were driving when they were murdered.
Part 4: Reflection
What will always amaze me about the Jewish people, and the people of Israel, is the unceasing resilience and ability to overcome adversity. Just two months after the events of October 7, I went to Argentina with Maccabi Media for the Pan American Maccabi Games. While everyone was there with a heavy heart, the athletes from Israel were smiling, and everyone came together for an incredible experience.
Now, at the 22nd Maccabiah, despite the postponement of the games, the same is true. The people of Israel are so happy to have us here and to prove to terrorists and the rest of the world that we will not live in fear.
Following the conclusion of the competition for the Maccabiah, hundreds of people in the United States Delegation will experience Israel Connect and have a chance to immerse themselves in the history of Israel. Thursday was a powerful day, and I expect Israel Connect to be full of education and emotion.
Ari Wohl graduated with a BA in Sports Journalism in 2024 and an MA in Mass Communication in 2025 from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Follow him on LinkedIn and on Instagram.