Whiplash: from serving the poor in Tel Aviv to serving in uniform

As usual, last Thursday I was with our volunteer team serving the homeless in south Tel Aviv until late in the evening. Just several hours after returning home, there was an air raid siren announcing that we had begun a war with Iran, and, at the same moment, I received a text message saying that I needed to return to my reserve unit immediately.

I am a large equipment operator in the army, and I was called to be a part of the Home Front Command rescue teams in Gush Dan in case of missile impacts. On Friday evening, Iran fired its first salvo of missiles in retaliation to Israel’s attack, and there were several significant missile impacts killing three and wounding dozens in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan and Rishon L’Zion. I realized that another war had not only come to my nation, but it was hitting my home city.

War on our doorstep

On Saturday, June 14th, I spent the day helping clear rubble at the impact site in Ramat Gan, which is not far from our congregation and where a number of our congregation members live. It was startling to see so much destruction: Iranian bombs carry massive payloads for maximum destruction

As I have been serving daily on these frontlines in my city, my heart is first and foremost with my wife and children. When I heard that there was a major strike in Bat Yam where we live on Jun 14th, my heart just fell: my wife Anna was alone with our six children at home during that missile attack. For a while I couldn’t get a hold of her, so I had try to get information through army channels to verify exactly where the bomb had hit to make sure it wasn’t in my neighborhood. I was so relieved that the strike wasn’t in my neighborhood, but when I got to the bomb site on Sunday morning, I wept for all the people on that street who were killed, wounded and all those who had suffered such devastation.

But then I had to get to work: this was a major rescue operation, and we feared that up to 35 people were trapped under the rubble. I was shocked by the magnitude of the destruction at the impact site, and it was difficult to work in a destroyed neighborhood I know so well, in the city where I and others from our congregation live. It is a miracle that none of the people I know personally from this neighborhood were wounded or killed. Just from the impact of this one missile in Bat Yam, ten people were killed, hundreds were wounded, and 20 buildings will need to be torn down due to the serious damage they sustained. 

Search and Rescue – a difficult task

All day Sunday (June 15th), I helped rescue crews looking for people stuck under the rubble. I operate a large excavator which we used to remove concrete beams and slabs under which people might be trapped. At one point, we had to move destroyed cars that were hindering our search, and, between the wrecked cars, we found the body of an eight-year-old boy who had been thrown together with a wall from his building by the great shockwave of the blast. That was a really difficult point for me.

Worrying whether personal friends are killed or wounded

During the time I was working in the area for rescue, I had in the back of my mind that the mother of one of our worship leaders lived in that destroyed neighborhood. I tried calling her and her husband all morning to check if she had heard anything from her mom, but there was no answer. Finally, the husband got in touch with me to let me know that his mother-in-law had decided to stay with them for the weekend at the last minute on Friday, which was a huge relief for me. In addition to being members of our congregation, this family are dear friends of mine, and they suffered the devastating loss of their only brother in the line of duty ten years ago.

Reserve duty mixes with pastoring

This has been a very disorienting time: in an instant, I went from preparing myself mentally and spiritually for our Friday service to suddenly finding myself in uniform, serving my country on the streets where I live and serve as pastor.

Everything has been all mixed together: one moment I’m clearing rubble and the next I’m trying to communicate with the team. I even joined a zoom prayer meeting we had on Friday from the reserves. As challenging as it is doing everything together, I have been so encouraged to see how our congregation is coming together (albeit through zoom at the moment) for prayer, everyone is checking on everyone else, and helping each other where they can.

The city where we we serve is a war zone

Whenever I have had a moment to stop and reflect in my duties, it is overwhelming to me that this war zone I am serving in is my home city, it’s where our congregation is, and these are areas we pray for routinely.

We love this city, and it’s our calling as a congregation to show the love of God to our city. I find myself in areas of the city which have suffered massive destruction, and I know that these are areas where people from our congregation live. Whenever I have a moment, I call people to make sure they’re ok.

Caring for the congregation from reserve duty

This has been a terrifying time for people, and, as a ministry team, we had to make sure everyone in the congregation was ok. Our team embarked on its own “operation” of sorts – I called it “operation telephone”. We took a day and called everyone in the congregation personally to make sure they were ok, to see if they needed any help or support, and to pray with those who needed it. Then in our team zoom meeting, we all shared our updates and what the specific needs are for help and support, spiritually, emotionally and practically.

Our team has been doing an amazing job taking care of everyone, especially considering the fact that they all live close to areas that have been directly hit with missiles, they are themselves running to their safe rooms and bomb shelters at all hours, dealing with the fear and stress of it all, and not getting a full-night’s sleep.

Hours after the US attack, more missiles from Iran

Early this morning, we woke up to the amazing news that the US had struck Iran’s underground nuclear sites and again to sirens across Israel as Iran launched a barrage of 27 ballistic missiles in response, targeting Haifa, Gush Dan (Tel Aviv Center) and Jerusalem, with several direct hits it Gush Dan and Haifa. Praise God no one was killed, but over 80 people were wounded and some are in serious condition. Again, we sent out our now disturbingly regular WhatsApp message: “Is everyone ok???” By God’s grace everyone is, although quite a few were very close to the missile impacts.

Of course, Tiferet Yeshua is providing help to those who’ve been affected, and we are also looking for opportunities to minister to and bless all those who have been impacted in the greater Tel Aviv area. Yet, with everything that is going on around us, we know and proclaim that the Lord surrounds His people and the victory belongs to Him!

Your prayers and support for Israel during this war, which is unlike any we have ever endured, are critical and we value your time as you lift us up for protection and safety.

Thank you for your love, prayers and support!

Moti Cohen