Story of Israeli heroes with unique SA connection

The former managing director of Yeshiva College, Rabbi Leron Bernstein, who now lives in Israel, was project director of One Day in October, a book about the heroes that emerged on 7 October 2023. The SA Jewish Report spoke to him.

What drew you to put together One Day in October?

The idea for the book was conceived by Rabbi Reuven Ziegler, the managing editor of the Maggid label of Koren Jerusalem. Amidst the unprecedented cruelty and horror of 7 October, countless stories began to emerge about the remarkable humanity, courage, and bravery of the Israeli people on that day.

Together with Oriya Mevorach, the editor-in-chief at Maggid Hebrew, Ziegler structured the idea of a book that would bring these “everyday” heroes and their stories to the Israeli people and then to the rest of the world in a way that’s authentic, endearing, compelling, and inspiring. They brought in Israeli writer and film producer Yair Agmon to compose the stories, and Mevorach became co-author in the middle of the project.

I served as project director, responsible for making sure that all the parts came together in record time and within budget. We wanted to get this special book to the Israeli public as soon as possible to provide a much-needed framework and emotional resource to help people begin to process, cope, and rehabilitate.

How would you describe the book?

As tearing open and healing the heart. The book doesn’t sensationalise the violence, it allows the reader to access the facts of the day in a way that doesn’t leave them broken at the end, perhaps similar to open-heart surgery.

Moving from the terribly divided Israeli nation of 6 October through 7 October and then to 8 October, the book presents us with the pain of our people and then the hope and heroism we exhibit when it matters most.

What was so different about that day in October?

I was completely overwhelmed with disbelief that our homeland had been infiltrated and defiled in such a vicious way. Where was our “invincible army”, and how could this be happening to the Jewish people in their homeland in the modern era? How could we be witnessing scenes in 2023 that hearken back to the Holocaust? I’m certainly not the same Jew and Israeli citizen I was before 7 October.

How did you select the 40 heroes and 40 stories?

Countless stories were being shared across Israeli society in community groups, social media, and on the news. The stories of heroism weren’t hard to find. It was far more difficult to choose only 40.

What were you looking for specifically?

Agmon brings you to an intimate appreciation of the person before they met the unprecedented horror. You learn about some unique traits that could have been perceived as arbitrary at first, but turn into their “superpower” on that day. And it’s that trait that retains their humanity and gives us reason for hope.

How do you believe we move on from 7 October 2023? Have you done so?

We have to take each day as it comes, with its challenges, blessings, and with the strength that we can find within it. We have to have faith within ourselves to heal and triumph over the challenges that we face. I work on my faith in Hashem despite the situation we face in Israel, especially the constant loss of precious life. I have found that the more we try to bring light, the more we get to access Hashem’s light pushing through amidst the darkness. Strangely, I have felt Hashem’s providence more in the last year than in any other time.

Why do you believe it’s important for us to read about these heroes?

To restore our humanity and our hope. To keep us united and connected as a Jewish people. Ultimately, they are everyday people. If they could reach such heights of bravery and courage, that potential lies within us too.

Tell me about one hero whose story has had the most impact on your life.

A real-life superhero, Or Ben-Yehuda, an elite commander in the army. On 7 October, she saved the Sufa Outpost on the border while facing almost certain death. In the story, we are told how the head of the Southern Command visited her prior to 7 October and commended her ability to, “command as a woman”. It’s quite a bold thing to say in our society. Yet, she appreciates that he is telling her that her leadership strength comes from tapping into who she truly is, not trying to be anyone else. We all have unique traits, and we often try to mask them to fit in. In One Day in October, we see that it was so often these unique traits that propelled them to remarkable heights.

What would entice someone to read this book?

We’re all still carrying trauma from the events of 7 October, especially because the war continues without respite and the reaction of the world has been gloriously disappointing. This book allows us to confront the day with our eyes wide open, yet gives us the tools to process that pain.

What has been the reaction to this book in South Africa, Israel, and elsewhere?

In Israel, the first print of the book was sold out in pre-orders. It held the #1 Bestseller spot for 21 weeks, including during Israel’s national book week. It now has platinum status, with more than 50 000 copies sold. A limited hardcover edition is now being sold to mark the first anniversary of 7 October.

Kollel bookshop made its largest order for this book. Within weeks, there was a handful of copies left. South African friends have shared how the book has enabled them to feel deeply connected to Israel through this difficult period.

The reception across our markets in the United States and the United Kingdom has been similarly successful.

What did the South African Jewish community have to do with this book?

I reached out to my network of South African Jewish philanthropists, and garnered some basic interest at first to sponsor the English version. We then heard the tragic news about my former student, Captain Daniel Perez, who 163 days after 7 October, was found to have been killed after performing the most remarkable acts of heroism. I had been in discussion with Laurence Rapp about sponsorship, but after finding out what happened to Perez, he committed to leading fundraising efforts to dedicate the book in his memory. Rapp recruited philanthropic individuals from across the South African community, and funds were raised on behalf of their communities and organisations. There was meaningful justice in this book of Israeli heroism being dedicated by South African Jews, representing the same country whose leaders have wasted massive public resources to spread libel about Israel through the International Court of Justice.

Are there particular stories in the book that the South African audience will resonate with?

Every story is written with a particularly human feel. They transcend nationalities and even creeds. Of course, the story of Perez is deeply meaningful to the South African audience.