Voices from Kibbutz Re’im

Join us at Congregation Beth El for a powerful evening of learning, remembrance, and connection. Hear from Zohar Livne Mizrahi (50), a social worker and secretary of Kibbutz Re’im, who was evacuated with her family to Eilat after October 7. Mizrahi will share her community’s story in a 60-minute Q&A panel covering what life at Re’im was like before October 7, the aftermath of the attack and its impact on the community, Re’im’s plans for recovery and rebuilding, and the new partnership between Kibbutz Re’im and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, which is helping connect our local community to Re’im’s recovery and rebuilding efforts.

There will also be a special Virtual Reality (VR) program presented by Israel-Is. With 24 VR headsets, participants will step into Kibbutz Re’im and the grounds of the Nova Music Festival, located adjacent to the kibbutz. The program includes a walk through the festival site as it stood before and after the attack and three first-hand testimonies from two Nova survivors and one Israeli police officer who was there.

Zohar’s visit to the DMV is part of Federation’s ongoing commitment to strengthen the bond between Greater Washington and our Israeli partner communities, fostering understanding, healing, and hope through shared stories and experiences. This event, in particular, offers a unique chance to engage with stories of courage and resilience while bearing witness through both conversation and immersive technology.