Nir Oz: Trauma, Resilience and the Question of the Future

Nir Oz, a community of around 400 residents, lost more than 76 people on October 7; many others were abducted. Nearly 90 percent of the houses were destroyed, and over 60 percent were completely burned down. The images of charred homes, destroyed personal belongings, and devastated infrastructure still convey the scale of the violence. At the same time, the community faces difficult decisions: which ruins should be preserved as memorials, and which should be demolished to make space for rebuilding?

Efrat also spoke about individual fates – of hours spent hiding in shelters, of neighbors who were murdered or abducted, of families killed in their so-called safe rooms. These stories make clear how arbitrary survival and death were on that day and how deeply the trauma continues to affect the community.

One central message Efrat Machikawa conveyed went beyond the immediate description of destruction and trauma. She emphasized that long-term stability in the region cannot be achieved through military security alone. Security is necessary, but not sufficient. If sustainable stability is to be achieved, significant investment in education is required – on both sides. Education, in this context, means more than formal schooling. It involves the transmission of values, the strengthening of critical thinking, the promotion of empathy, and the conscious rejection of extremist ideologies. Children are not born with hatred, she noted. What matters are the narratives they grow up with, the images of the “other” they are taught, and the future perspectives made available to them.

Afterwards, we met Keren Pardo, Coordinator for Volunteer Service and Youth Movements within the Kibbutz Movement.

She provided an overview of the movement’s structure, which represents 259 kibbutzim across Israel, including newer urban models. Originally founded as collectivist utopias, most kibbutzim have evolved into mixed models today: individual economic responsibility for members combined with collective ownership of key communal assets such as dining halls and educational institutions.

Keren explained that many kibbutzim are deliberately located in border regions and have, from the outset, also fulfilled a strategic security function. The attacks of October 7 severely affected numerous such communities. The movement responded by establishing emergency structures, organizing accommodation for internally displaced residents, and coordinating agricultural support.

A key point in Keren’s remarks concerned the international perception of Israel since October 7. She described how, abroad, a distinction is often not clearly made between the Israeli government and Israeli civil society. As a result, civil society actors, educational initiatives, and movements such as the Kibbutz Movement – which have for decades been committed to democracy, equality, and peace education – find themselves in a difficult position. International partnerships are being suspended for political reasons, even when the organizations involved explicitly stand for dialogue and democratic values.

Keren therefore stressed how important it is, especially at this moment, to approach solidarity in a differentiated way. Criticism of political decisions can and should be expressed, but support for civil society structures, educational work, and democratic initiatives must be maintained. For the kibbutzim and their youth and volunteer programs, international cooperation represents not only practical assistance but also a signal that democratic forces and engaged communities should not be isolated. In this sense, solidarity is not an uncritical endorsement, but a conscious strengthening of exchange, education, and societal resilience.

Further images from Nir Oz can be found on our Instagram page.