How Israeli communities scarred by Oct. 7 celebrated Hanukkah

William Brangham:

For millions of Jews around the world, Hanukkah ended this evening at nightfall. It's a holiday centered on dedication and perseverance. And the Festival of Lights is particularly special in Israel, especially for the survivors of October 7, their families, and the families of those who were lost.

The "News Hour"'s producer in Israel, Karl Bostic, sent this report from two kibbutzim shattered by terror, but now being revived.

Karl Bostic:

Torchbearing children bringing light out of darkness, celebrating a Jewish victory in an ancient war. But here on Kibbutz Nir Oz, barely two miles from the Gaza border, the sacrifices honored are much more familiar.

Ron Bahat, Security Manager, Nir Oz:

It's light. We need to cover light with all this darkness. The place is — start blooming. And, of course, we had a very dark period after October 7. And now you will see that we come back stronger, bigger and better.

Karl Bostic:

Nir Oz was among the hardest-hit kibbutzim that terror-filled morning on October 7; 47 residents were killed; 76 were taken hostage.

Now it is slowly coming back to life. The building and growing have begun anew and its people are returning.

Emi Palmor, Former Director General, Israeli Ministry of Justice: There was a huge massacre here. Hamas terrorists entered 97 percent of the homes and the complete community was evacuated. One out of four was either kidnapped or murdered and the rest were evacuated.

So it's a very, very special year because we're going to see the revival. And we have hostages who returned. We have Gadi Moses, who is 81 years old, who was almost 500 days in captivity by himself. And when he came out, he wrote a letter to his friends in the kibbutz. He said: I'm back. Let's get to work and let's push away the darkness.

Karl Bostic:

During his captivity, Gadi Moses lost track of time. He didn't know what day it was, but he never lost track of hope. His lifeline was to hear the news from radio only when his captors let him listen, a signal, a light that helped him survive.

The interesting, amazing thing is, they allowed you to listen to the Israeli news. What do you…

Gadi Moses, Released Hostage:

No, no, no, no, no. They gave me five minutes a week. I ask for radio, and I ask it again and again, months, two months, three months.

Karl Bostic:

And for one of those five minutes, he heard Israel's defense minister speaking on the radio.

Gadi Moses:

Today is the third candle.

Karl Bostic:

He knew what day it was, the second day of Hanukkah.

What makes this Hanukkah so special for you?

Gadi Moses:

The light. The light. We have a lot of light, and the light means hope. We hope that next year it will be much better.

Karl Bostic:

That hope will mean the building of new homes for returning families and space for new families. Dozens of homes are expected to be built in the new year, but the community is still struggling with the shadow of October 7. Though all hostages have been released except for one, these yellow flags remain as reminders of the horror.

This is the home of Oded and his wife, Yocheved Lifshitz. More than two years ago, they were both taken hostage on October 7 into Gaza. Afterwards, the home was set on fire. And still, two years later, nothing has changed, including this piano, which is Oded's piano. Now everyone's debating which homes to save and reserve or which ones to demolish.

(Cheering)

Karl Bostic:

As sundown plunged the day into the night, the lighting of the fire began in Nir Oz for Hanukkah.

Yizhar Lifshitz, the son of Oded and Yocheved, watched the fire with his mother, now 87. His father, Oded, at 82 was killed in the tunnels of Gaza. But Yizhar is defiant and sees the rebuilding of Nir Oz as part of the fire.

Yizhar Lifshitz, Son of Hostages: It's not because we are heroes, because we are in the corner. What is the other option? To cry and die? No way.

Karl Bostic:

The nearby kibbutz of Be'eri was also hit by the attacks of October 7, and is finding its own light to rebuilding. This place's residents met at the local pub in Be'eri. Despite their own personal tragedies, they are also defiant about returning.

For Yuda Simon, Hanukkah represents miracles.

Yuda Simon, Be’eri Resident:

Hanukkah is a story of miracles for the Jewish people. And my family had a small miracle inside the hole, in the black hole that happened to us in our family.

Karl Bostic:

His family left for holiday on October 6, but his brother Mordecai stayed behind, and he was killed that next day while trying to rescue his girlfriend.

Yuda Simon:

A lot of the kibbutz members, actually 30 of the kibbutz members were kidnapped and 102 were murdered.

Karl Bostic:

Have you ever thought of leaving Be'eri?

Yuda Simon:

Well, all the time, I thought — I wasn't sure it is my house, but now I'm completely sure, after October 7, this is my house.

Karl Bostic:

Not only are residents displaced for more than two years choosing to return, but also new people have made the decision to move to places like Nir Oz and Be'eri, even though there is still a threat living next to Gaza.

Netta Asher is only 23, and she just moved here. She also joined the local security force.

Netta Asher, Nir Oz Resident:

So I have moved here four months ago, but I have known the people for years now, ever since I volunteered here a couple of years ago. And I moved here because I'm surrounded by the strongest, most optimistic and uplifting people. I think that it's very empowering to be here.

You're not really safe anywhere. And once you let go and you accept, that's when serenity comes. I think it's the best cure for anxiety in a very paradoxical way.

Karl Bostic:

The Festival of Light that is Hanukkah began with the tale from ancient times, when all that was left to provide light during a war was a small canister of oil. It was enough to last for eight nights.

For Jews in Israel today, those eight nights from an ancient war have now become two years of the same kind of sustaining light for another war in these modern times.

Karl Bostic, "PBS News Hour," Tel Aviv, Israel.