More than 250 people gathered in Herzliya on Dec. 30 for “Stronger Together: An Evening of Courage, Compassion and Community” hosted by Telfed, an aliyah organization based in Ra’anana that supports immigrants from Southern Africa.
The event brought together an extraordinary cross-section of speakers—all with ties to Southern Africa—who shared their personal stories of tragedy and triumph, heroism and hope in the aftermath of the Hamas-led terror attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Opening the evening, MC Benita Levin, a South African-born journalist who made aliyah with her family and now anchors on i24NEWS English, said that even after the darkest day in Israel’s history, it is possible to hold both pain and hope at the same time.
Among the speakers was South African-born Chana Peri, 81, who talked publicly for the first time about her captivity by Hamas but requested that her comments not be published.
Peri was abducted from Kibbutz Nirim along with her son, Nadav Popplewell, on Oct. 7. She was released on Nov. 24, 2023, in the first hostage deal; Nadav was killed in captivity.
After the Israel Defense Forces recovered Popplewell’s remains, he was laid to rest next to his brother, Ro’i, who had been murdered on “Black Saturday.”
Peri’s quiet strength and deeply personal testimony left a profound impression on the audience, most of whom were South African immigrants. She has become a symbol of resilience for many Israelis.
Also addressing the gathering was Rabbi Doron Perez, the newly elected chairman of the World Zionist Organization, whose son, Capt. Daniel Perez was killed on Oct. 7, and his remains were returned from Gaza for burial as part of the Gaza deal initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump for burial on Oct. 15.
“For the first time, I feel like there is no other cause. I feel it is harder to be than to do,” Perez said. “For the first time, I have really begun to feel what so many families here are feeling. You are alone with that pain. I was distracted like that for a long time; I was in my doing mode. The connection of South Africans who have lost children is unbelievable. It is so painful. It’s a painful privilege.”
Perez spoke of the fallen as part of a continuum of Jewish sacrifice. “They join the pantheon of heroes who have done everything they could,” he said. “There is a chesed (‘kindness’) in that.”
Honoring the fallen
The evening honored South African Israelis who were murdered on Oct. 7 or fell in the ensuing war, battling for Israel: Marcel Talia; Ro’i Popplewell; Saar Margolis; Sgt. 1st Class Regev Amar; Sgt. Shoham Ben Harush; Capt. Daniel Perez; Capt. Yaron Chitiz; Sgt. 1st Class Ido Aviv; Nadav Popplewell; Sgt. Nitai Metodi; 1st Sgt. Netanel Pessach; and Staff Sgt. Moshe Shmuel Noll.
Before the event, Telfed hosted a smaller gathering for Southern African olim (‘immigrants’ to Israel) who had lost sons or brothers in the war, creating a comforting space for shared remembrance and connection.
Supporting bereaved families and wounded soldiers
Carol Goldfus, who has spent decades supporting bereaved families and wounded IDF soldiers, addressed the Telfed event together with Dudu Baron, a volunteer and community activist known for his work in support of wounded soldiers.
Drawing on her background in cognitive psychology and neuroscience, as well as her experience as the wife of a combat paramedic and the mother of top IDF officers—including Maj. Gen. Dan Goldfus, a senior commander with more than three decades of service—she visited dozens of soldiers hospitalized at Tel Hashomer (Sheba Medical Center) and elsewhere.
“I went from room to room and from place to place with the soldiers, with the mothers and with the officers and that is how I got involved in the hospital at Tel Hashomer, she said.
“My perspective is that of a mother who understands,” she added, stressing the importance of understanding trauma and showing empathy. “Since Dan (Goldfus) was a commander of Sayeret Nahal during the intifada, we have supported soldiers. When Dan was in Gaza, I felt that I had to go in his place. I felt it was the only way I could fill in and accompany the soldiers and their families, as many soldiers and as many families as I could.”
Goldfus shared the powerful words of a severely wounded soldier she had recently visited at the Beit Loewenstein Rehabilitation Center. After two years of recovery from a traumatic brain injury and the loss of a leg, she asked “Menachem” what message he wished to share.
His answer, she said, was simple: He and his comrades had fought for Israel and the Jewish people “so that we can be happy together; to be b’simcha (with joy).”
Strengthening the community
Maish Isaacson, the chairman of Telfed, told JNS that the evening had been designed to strengthen a community that has endured years of hardship.
“This event was held to inspire our community after two difficult years, through stories of courage and compassion,” he said. “It was a reminder that we do our best when we step up and stand together. We are here, and we are steadfast. Telfed is proud to make a contribution—together with our community—and to continue helping, because that is what we do best, with responsibility and care.”
According to Telfed, some 30,000 Israelis who hail from Southern Africa currently live in Israel.
Lt. Col. Keith Isaacson, the head of security and emergency services for the Eshkol region, shared stories of individual heroism by first responders on Oct. 7. He offered a note of cautious optimism.
“The fields are green again,” Isaacson said, pointing out that at least 5,000 new residents have moved back into communities in the Gaza Envelope, signaling both resilience and renewal.
