Victory, strength. protection. These are some of the meanings of the name given to the little baby who has just been circumcised. Kibbutz Nirim, Sukkot holiday - Uriel and Amy celebrate the holiday for the first time, with ten-day-old Kai. Grandma Deborah also came from Eilat for the celebratory circumcision, and she stayed in the kibbutz with her family for Shabbat Simchat Torah.
Morning. Sirens wake Uriel and Amy. They gently pick Kai up, softly hug him, and together with Grandma Deborah enter the ‘safe room’. The sirens do not stop wailing. Soon everyone realizes that danger is near, terrorists are walking between the houses and want to sow destruction and loss. Uriel and Amy hold the handle of the ‘safe room’ door tightly so no one can enter, and Grandma Deborah holds little Kai and whispers soothing words in his ears. Kai cries. Grandma puts her finger in his mouth gently, so that he will suck and relax. Silence.
After long minutes of shouting and sounds of smashing and destruction - the house is quiet. Maybe it is already over? They listen attentively to what is happening outside and then the smell of smoke rises into their noses. The terrorists set the house on fire. The thick smoke penetrates through the door of the protected room and fills the space. Grandma Deborah, Uriel and Amy start coughing. It is hard for them to breathe and it is hard for little Kai too.
What should they do? Leaving the room is not an option. After all, the whole house is up in flames. The iron window is closed tight so that no one can break in. There seems to be no other choice, Uriel and Amy choose life. They take Kai and lay him on the windowsill, carefully open the thick metal screen and let the air in. His breathing is regulated. Grandma Deborah, Uriel and Amy also manage to breathe, after which they shut the window again.
For many long hours, locked in the protected room and waiting for help - Kai is placed on the windowsill, which is opened from time to time to allow air to enter. Through the same window, after six hours, the entire family was rescued by soldiers and members of the kitat konenut (the armed civilian squad).
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