Concern, grief and hope in Lansing’s Jewish community after Hamas attack

Ody Norkin and his wife, Rachel, were asleep in their home in Okemos early Saturday when their cell phones rang to life at about 1:30 a.m., with texts and videos on WhatsApp from Rachel’s family in Israel — messages about attacks, videos showing gunmen and shooting. 

Obviously, the Norkins were concerned. They grew up in Israel, and Rachel’s brother, Issac, his family and numerous cousins still live in Tel Aviv. “We have a WhatsApp group, and they started sending texts and videos, like 28 of them in five minutes,” he said.  “Some of the videos were going viral within minutes. We saw these things well before they hit the airwaves.”

Still, the Norkins believed what they first saw and were told about were smaller-scale terrorist attacks by Hamas fighters, all too familiar in recent years. “We thought it was another missile barrage, which are kind of routine now, and that it was just one terrorist squad that had somehow infiltrated,” he said.

So, they eventually returned to sleep. Hours later, they awoke for the day to a horrifying truth. The Hamas attacks were nationwide, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu had declared war in response, and the escalation of hostilities has quickly reached a level not seen for many years.

Ody Norkin shared this story from his vehicle in Okemos Monday as he drove to a Rotary Club meeting in Lansing. In 2022, Norkin’s extensive efforts to assist Ukraine in their war against Russia have been well-publicized in stories by City Pulse and other outlets. While driving, he was interrupted by a call regarding a shipment this week of medical supplies heading to Ukraine. “I need someone in Suceava Rotary to clear customs for me,” he said, referring to a city in Romania.

As Norkin absorbs the news from his homeland and tries to help, even as he continues his previous mission. One thing he can do best with his background — he’s the vice president of Michigan Flyer bus service — is help with travel. “I’ve been assisting Israel Defense Force reservists that were here on holiday get rebooked on flights to get back to their units. Delta/United/American flights were all canceled, so EL AL is the only carrier from the U.S. flying,” he said, referring to the Israeli national airline. “I managed to get some booked, but not all.”

Norkin has been moved by calls of concern from connections he’s made during his Ukrainian relief efforts, including U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin and retired Lansing attorney Raj Wiener. As he said in a reply to a message of their concerns, “This war has truly hit home.”

Norkin’s family in central and nothern Israel are OK so far. However, his wife’s sister-in-law has a cousin, Inbal, whose brother and German girlfriend were murdered in the Nir Oz kibbutz, or collective, near the Gaza Strip border in southern Israel while visiting for the Yom Kippur holiday. Plus, Inbal’s father is one of the hostages Hamas has taken. “The hopes are that Inbal’s father is still alive.”

The attack isn’t personal for Norkin just because of the extended family that has been harmed, but also for the heroic efforts of his kibbutz. The Norkins first met in 1973 when they were living and working in Kibbutz Nirim, where he was called up to fight as a 19-year-old soldier in the Yom Kippur War, exactly 50 years and a day before the Hamas attack.

“It’s the only kibbutz in south Israel that so far has not had any fatalities,” he said. “Everyone has holed up in their homes and safe rooms, and with just a handful of volunteers they’ve managed to hold off the attack on Nirim, which is an untold story yet. This is the same story of 1948; Nirim was first village to be attacked in the War of Independence. Twenty-eight guys held off a whole division. History is repeating itself.”

The cruel irony of the timing and nature of the attacks is not lost on Norkin. “It’s really unfortunate that there were so many intelligence mishaps,” he said, comparing it to 9/11 and 1973 Yom Kippur War, which was another surprise invasion.  “Nobody connected the dots. There’s a lot of loss of life, and we have 150 hostages right now in the Gaza Strip and the chances of them coming home alive are pretty low. The whole thing is horrible.”

Meanwhile, Rabbi Amy Bigman, who serves the Congregation Shaary Zedek in East Lansing, is trying to generate hope. She learned of the news Saturday morning (“our sabbath and a festival day”) when it was already a large-scale attack. She has cousins in Israel with families and has been in touch with them. She has also reached out to temple members to share prayers and suggest organizations that are accepting donations. A Jewish community service of mourning and of hope will be scheduled this week.

“I spent a year studying in Jerusalem at our school’s campus,” Bigman said. “I worry about the students that are in Jerusalem now studying to be rabbis; I think of my Israeli colleagues and their synagogue members. I pray for the innocent Israelis and Palestinians who are injured or have lost their lives.”

Above all, she hopes and prays for peace in her worship services.

“This includes peace for all peoples around the world, regardless of religion, country of origin, etc. I teach that no country is perfect and while we may disagree with the government in any country, still we have hope for and pray for peace. The Israeli national anthem is called ‘HaTikvah,’ which means ‘The Hope.’”

 — STEVE UNDERWOOD