Roi Assaraf | Survivor Story of October 7 Massacre | CHAZAQ

[Music] good evening shab we want to thank everyone for joining us this very special event presented by the kazak organization and congregation want to give a very big thank you [Music] to Shak [Applause] Applause want give a very special even and greater thank you to elah for all ouring [Music] together shav m in memory of all the innocent victims of October 7th our fellow soldiers of of of of Israel for all the safe return of our hostages am mean and we also of so he should so he can start breathing should be a big I think that that one one one introduction for tonight I think that I think that we set the FR framework for tonight is as follows there was a rabbi got in front he got up in front of his SHO right after October 7th and he said does anybody know of anyone who was murdered on October 7th and no one raised their hands and then he said second question he said does anyone know does anyone know anyone who was taking hostage during October 7th and no one raised their hands and last the third question he said does anyone have any relatives who who who who who are in the Israeli Army right now maybe's in Gaza and only a few people raised their hands and he said you know what the issue is what the problem is he said every single person's hand should have been raised if if we would realize that that these are our fellow brothers and sisters in in Israel we would do Mitzvah differently we would DAV differently I think that that's what we're here all here for tonight that that we're here such a powerful amazing story about someone who's changed their life someone who views everybody as their brothers and sisters and of course um some um the the rabbi Al is somebody who's who is is's going to be giving opening remarks tonight and the kazak partners together with with the sh and with the community the after school an amazing Sunday school programs including in the Sho for for so many public school Youth and of course if anyone has any um fellow brothers and sisters who near Jewish Education whether it's sending them to Sunday school like happens every Sunday in this in in this Kila or maybe ging them the Jewish Education through sending them to Yeshiva please reach out to the hak organization and um we want to call upon to our great great everyone [Applause] please thank you very much I want to thank kazak for their extraordinary efforts on a daily basis to promote toah to cherish toah to disseminate toah all throughout America and through the world can you imagine yourself anybody teaches to his son is a tremendous tremendous this is even great yet greater for a person to teach his grandson imagine yourself one person got to and he lives a religious proper life and now imagine that individual disseminating toah throughout his Community his peers this is what we are here for tonight the all soldiers and and all those who are kidnapped shall return back safely to their homes and all those injured are sick and all those who are singles and for all of us bring Salvation um for our soldiers and for all the and we'll start the program after this program for the ladies who want to stay there will be another sh from which will speak about and so those ladies only for ladies would like to stay please stay and join her for I want to add one more remark before we call L to the platform my father served 30 years in the Israeli Army he reached a very high Linko General we talk about 1980 my mom Envision Envision back in the early 80s what would happen of October 11 October 7 we came to America we became went to 20 years in as you see we what I want to tell you is that every individual has a responsibility to bring another Jew closer to there is no other there are no other merits that a person can have that bring that that created through the father and the mother to come to this world as guests to catapult himself to a level that he can have a connection with hem through and it's our responsibility to engage yourself in our mind and our hearts to see it that every Jew has Theo and the ability to do whatever he can to accentuate his potential to the most he can with the connection that hasem created the world for us for equals to 541 which equals to 10us the 0 is one and hasem is one the world is not worth except for so it's our responsibility when we have another feeling for those are compromised from the vision yet to have AEM in the life and we are the one who are Catalyst for them to engage them to come close to Hashem that is we conquer the whole world and sometimes hasem throws these dogs and other but only for us to do T because hasem wants Unity this happened all only after an excessive that we endured in the many years before but what doesn't break us makes us stronger amen amen so we would like to invite our guest speaker he's going to say his life story right now I say life story because you know if he has the to come alive from what happened then and to be like all of us and can you imagine you don't have to be a rabbi left and right you see what he has can you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] imagine [Music] for says his whole life was just a big party his profession was to make tattoos and he loved it he cherished it that's an art job very artistic and every day opportunity it was a [Music] party [Music] four years ago he got married he had two girls and since Corona happened naturally they did not go anywhere any events any parties as they used to prior to that [Music] sh [Music] he has scheduled himself to go to the party as we know the party that happened but best friends of his organized this party four of his friends who think two of them are alive and two of them perished in this um episode and um he has set himself to go to the party but he fell asleep and then in the middle of the night 3:00 in the morning or so he woke up to the reality that the party has started [Music] already [Music] he has arrived to the party as he arrived to the party the person who's Manning the vehicles had told him to go all the way far away from where the part is to the [Music] Cor [Music] as he arrived parking the car he opened the door he saw a container of milk and then he his friend had told him let's put the container of milk on top of the car's antenna so we can recognize from Far which one is a [Music] car [Music] as he got to the party he saw his friends and uh upon seeing his friends they were very happy to see each other and they made together in ecstasy this party was unusual paring because you felt something extraordinary elated perhaps I don't know many people on the high we [Music] what [Music] telephone [Music] for [Music] his wife got the jacket and then he saw her and greeted her y the son is so Rockets a great sky and clouds realizing that they're under attack by the bombs and he told his wife immediately as everybody was ordained to put their hands and lie down the floor that they should run away towards the [Music] car [Music] for okay [Laughter] so he uh he told his wife let's get out of here quickly this is not a good situation and his wife insisted that she wants to get her jacket from where she left it by the cabi by his brother whoever he was and uh he told him no wait let's just get out of here but she insisted to you know she was attached to the jacket for some reason you know sh and imately when she came back with a jacket the then right there opened the exit for the emergency so everybody could [Music] leave so he as they were walking out running out he pictured the entire scene thinking that perhaps that will be the last time that he'll be able to live the last memory for his children in the film taking a picture of the episode that went through [Music] for [Music] for [Music] so as he was leaving the party he told his friends not to go to the parking spot but rather to the emergency spot where he greeted them there and then they took off and as he took off the police people told him not to go to the right but rather to go to the left of the opposite right or left whatever just get out [Music] a [Music] for [Music] so as he was driving out instead of going back towards where the party was exiting to the through the parking place he continued that direction and as they were driving his friend behind him was telling him just leave to save your life just leave terrorists behind and as that was happening the those people tend in each car two cars one in black one in white start with no stop bulleting them shooting them like there is no tomorrow as he was putting his head wife's head [Music] down [Music] for as he was going out flooring the gas his head now was also bent down not seeing where he's driving continuing away from where they came from from the party and U he found a moment to call his you know it was ding to and calling his brother to tell him right away what's happening but his brother said I lost the keys I cannot [Music] leave [Music] he was continuing fling the car his brother was telling himan was telling him just to stop by the Israeli Base by the tah this is the safest way we can get out of this mess and his wife and him looked at each other and something within them told them not to stop what apparently should have saved their life but rather to continue INF floring it until they continue to leave this [Music] homeless [Music] for it was traumatized his leg continued to be on the gas with all the trepidation and the fear and the anxiety fearing for his life getting all the bullets to the point where he was really you know stuck his foot was stuck on the gas pedal he couldn't let's [Music] go another miracle happened as he finally arrived to be to refill the gas away from all this mess a huge bomb with him 10 meter away from where he was and his wife exploded right next to [Music] them [Music] so finally he arrived home and he looked at his daughters out of love of course and want to hug them but they saw the tremendous trepidation and fear and anxiety that he had that they couldn't even Embrace him at that point and unfortunately heard of the two friends that the organizers who perished were massacred aages but two other [Music] with [Music] for [Music] so he went unfortunately to 13 leot which of course emotionally affected him along with all the other people that perished this massacre is reached out to him and asked him to come to speak to the public audience of 300 people he was not really ready for that but he overcame the fear and he was able to go engage himself to speak to the public after him and his wife related to each other from the time they woke up in the morning they wrote down exactly what happened step by step and then he went and delivered to [Music] [Applause] [Music] is I [Music] miss his wife was sitting together without to keep Shabbat there was nothing more satisfying in his life from all the events and all the parties and all the experiences he had as an artist in keeping the Shabbat which gave him a fulfillment both him and his wife and they decided to also write a book which relates to 80 stories and events that happened during this time [Music] l [Music] for [Music] if [Applause] a [Applause] so they accepted Shabbat Shabbat resonates a person is in Tranquility in peace and harmony with himself and his family when he keeps Shabbat he has all the time to be together and to thank Hashem as he was understanding of this point hasem gave him back his life and him and his wife in order so that now they can continue to spread the tah and uh when a person understands that hasem gave him back his life of course he has to give back and that's how he gave back that all the problems all the are resolved when a person keeps the Shabbat the Shabbat keeps [Music] you [Music] [Applause] [Music] for [Music] for [Music] for [Music] for [Music] for [Music] for [Music] to so as it was ending the story him and his wife resolved to keep Shabbat he's no longer a women's Barber only with men the of shabat he resolved himself together with his family to continue and thank hasem for everything he gave him back a second chance to live and should to be many many people and uh as he mentioned this party that happened on October 7th we have to look the Silver Lining how hasem really had on the Jewish people on because these 3,000 terrorists wanted to infiltrate not only where they War but everywhere in Israel to T Aviv everywhere but because of the fact that they were chasing after to the women they stayed their stad in that party and did not permeate all throughout Israel and this is that we have to see in our lives for every difficulty in life a person has to see where Shem is certainly we saw where hasem was on October 7th thousands and thousands of people will perish but with and mercy and love for us he stopped them he Haled them and we also and His Wish and prayer and blessing for us is to be United because when we have Unity then we have everything we should all be together in and all those who are come back to their homes together with all the all of us should see we'll open the floor to few questions from the from the girls the boys men the women and uh maybe he can give us an answer anybody would like to ask particular question and then we'll continue with did you get hurt did you get injured at all anybody in your car get injured as you were she asked a question if anybody in his car was compromised was hit with a [Music] bullet he answer that not only that he was not hit not even the vehicle was compromised with a bullet when they his wife went in Bea to refill the the gas she saw that nothing happened to the car hasem just directly protected them together in the car to the point where all the bullets from 20 Palestinians did not touch them at all [Music] [Applause] [Music] the question was what scoop did you have to be to be saved what's good look what's good he gave every single day in his and coma we never know a person has to pray today when he's healthy and good for the future when you give every single day and we do it's not just for now it's for the future and that's why he believes that saved him and his wife from this episode for the for the past year yeah sing day hisop but more to all all the homeless people but more than that he cut their hair for free oh for okay giv the give fre haircuts okay anybody else [Music] [Applause] forat [Music] [Applause] [Music] for okay anybody else translation okay you after the fifth Shabbat from the episode he resolved to go to the Sho he got dressed beautifully as he was walking down to the Sho he saw everybody going to the shoe but he stopped he stopped and he went back home his wife asked him why you why you coming back home so he said um this Shabbat that was the first step next Shabbat I'll be in the shoe and next Shabbat he went to the sh so we learn from here coming close to hasem is not is not something that the person can press the button takes time step by step I he wants to show his [Music] tatto [Music] NOA October [Music] so as he mentioned his body is full tattoos but one particular part was not with tattoo and every time he went to any uh event where they had to uh give you a stamp to the entrance of the party uh his body was full of so except Point parts and now he fill it you f that one [Music] too that's I SW is that you take all of them question question was in Israel we know you know how unfortunately before October 7th a person puts y get lost your low life basically his question was what was the reaction of your friends who are secular as a result of your after the oober 7th [Music] [Applause] [Music] episode [Music] he answered that to the contrary nobody made fun of him becoming religious and keeping Shabbat everybody's supporting him and everybody became stronger and everybody has now this understanding of Hashem and what is hasem all about and the omnipotence of hasem through Israel and through the episode and through the world and everybody is becoming closer to that realization and the miracle that many persevered many Saw The Miracles with their own eyes and that gravitated them as well to become closer to AEM and give him in his in his new way of living are [Music] for [Music] two more question for the man she said she said because the lack of unity that we have unfortunately even from the religious circles imagine yourself if all the and and the religious people love each other just you with me yes yes we have differences but me and you are brothers me and you are sisters if you can imagine that that the religious people together with the irreligious people will love each other to have this equivocation and and and lack of unity will dispel away very quickly you cannot have people I make I start with grape juice for the wife and the husband and some chocolate when you have sugar in your mouth you cannot fight you cannot fight because it's sweet when you are together when you are together as much as you have disagreements but you're together so that's why he's trying to say some people need a Shabbat to give them life that particular Shabbat gave him life we should not have any compromising situation we don't askm for any challenges in life but certainly when hasm gives it to us let's understand the message the message is to have [Music] said many times how can I love somebody else like I love myself so you invest your emotion your money you're thinking about somebody else part of you is in him so when you love him you love yourself because him became part of you you became part of him so loving him is very simple because you love yourself and that's why he's saying when we have Unity we have everything and only then only then we can fight all the negative elements around [Music] us so how much more of a challenge I think in this Podium he gives each everyone of us how much more impet he gives us to be you die together says all my children together you say you kill somebody you kill somebody you made a division between people you're not my children go get your act together as children and then I'm your father the closer we are to each other the closer is to us and this is exactly dead on October 7 to make is United to make us one if we don't have together we are way far from hasem the minut we deal with each other properly with then we connected to hem and that's what happened yeah that's what happened [Laughter] question business as usual anybody else yeah that's it okay maybe one or two and then we we have to finish okay Mrs sh look look Shu I can't hear [Music] you [Music] for [Music] one last question one last question that we W she said she knows Roy since she's a little kid in [Music] Jerusalem right that wasn't a question so let's see a question okay one one lady in the back and then I guess we finish okay one in the past something stop you something Mak you scared of becoming Who You Are what was that can you explain to us how we can over that so she asked the question October 7 tiated your mind and your being to become religious but what was it speaks English very well don't worry about it be [Music] for [Music] [Applause] foren