Stav Shdema is the grandson of Ditsa Heiman, 84, a social worker by training who worked for years on kibbutzim and was the legendary social worker throughout the region.
Nir Oz's story - May Asraf appeals to the German and Israeli governments to return her family // Interviewer Netta Pluderman // Photo: Maya Shochat
He talks about the difficult days they have been going through since the seventh of October: "That day we contacted her following what we heard in the media about the possibility of terrorists infiltrating the kibbutzim. Until ten o'clock in the morning, we were in contact with her by phone and she said she was in the safe room and everything was fine. At ten o'clock in the morning, telephone contact with her was cut off. At four o'clock in the afternoon, one of the terrorists answered the phone and said in English, in a heavy Arabic accent: "Its Hamas."
"What we know is that during the day a neighbor heard her shouting from the safe room, 'Help, help,' the same neighbor came out with his gun, saw that there were dozens of terrorists, realized that he had no chance against them, went back to the safe room and therefore he survived."
Ditza Heiman at her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, photo: courtesy of the family
He goes on to describe how they raised his grandmother who was kidnapped: "On Tuesday of that week, a Hamas propaganda video was released showing terrorists putting my grandmother in the car. That same day, the IDF officially informed us that she had been kidnapped. There is nothing new. They don't talk to us about contacts. Not updating. There is no feeling that things are moving.
I am personally angry that the prime minister barely talks to the families of the abductees. He said in half a sentence that he would do what he could. Besides: nothing."
"I got to talk to a woman from Nirim who was waiting for her son who was kidnapped. She told me that my grandmother was an inspiration. She was one of three social workers working in the area. We're all waiting for you to come back."
"We're all waiting for you to come back." Ditza Heiman, photo: courtesy of the family
Stav also talks about the feelings about Gal Hirsch's appointment as coordinator of POWs and MIAs: "I personally think that Gal Hirsch is not suitable to manage this thing. He does not promote the release of abductees as much as he promotes himself in this process."
One out of every four in Kibbutz Nir Oz was murdered or kidnapped. Nir Oz is the kibbutz that received the hardest blow. Three of the four who survived also experienced and witnessed the atrocities.
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us