Adele Raemer, a New York City native, has returned to her devastated kibbutz near the Gaza border after surviving the Hamas attacks on October 7. Six months after the attack, Raemer still feels like a “refugee in her own land.” Despite the destruction, she is determined to rebuild her community and make it “bigger and better.” The kibbutz was stormed by Hamas terrorists who killed five people, abducted another five, and burned dozens of homes. Raemer, along with her newborn baby, took cover in her safe room for 11 hours as gunmen went door to door on a terror spree. Throughout the ordeal, she provided live updates on Facebook, which were followed by her followers around the world.
Raemer, who has lived in the kibbutz since 1975, remains committed to Israel and feels safer there than anywhere else in the world. She expressed her heartbreak at witnessing antisemitism around the world, including in her hometown of New York. As a Jew, she feels like a minority in danger of extinction and questions why the liberal, left-leaning world that claims to champion indigenous people fails to support the Jewish people.
Raemer’s greatest fear is for the safety of Jewish students on American college campuses during raging protests. She reflects on the irony of her grandparents fleeing pogroms in eastern Europe to find safety in the US, only for later generations to face danger there. She feels abandoned by other communities and criticizes the lack of support from historically supported groups, including those involved in the civil rights movement.
During a visit to Washington, Raemer met with politicians Ritchie Torres and John Fetterman, who gave her hope for the US-Israel relationship. Fetterman’s emotional reaction to her harrowing experience surprised her and made her hopeful for the future.
Raemer, a lifelong Democrat, has criticized President Biden for what she perceives as flip-flopping on the Jewish state. She is undecided on who she will vote for in the next election. She plans to attend the White House Correspondents Dinner, where she will wear a long yellow ribbon as a statement of human rights.
Despite the attacks, Raemer wants to go back to her kibbutz and reclaim what was stolen from them. She acknowledges that it won’t be easy, but it is vital to feel safe again. She has lost hope in her Palestinian counterparts after witnessing their involvement in the attack. She is determined to prevent another attack and believes that Hamas needs to be demilitarized.
Nirim, the kibbutz founded in 1946, celebrated its anniversary on October 6 and remains resilient. Raemer sees herself and her community as pioneers, both in the past and in the present.
