Israel Chesed Center Welcomes 10-7 Survivor Ron Segev
By Tammy Mark
This past Monday night, the Israel Chesed Center (ICC) had the privilege of hosting Ron Segev, a survivor of the Nova Music Festival, who shared his moving story of bravery and miracles on the horrific day of October 7. It was a week of meaningful events at the Chesed Center that culminated with packing the 10,000th duffle bag filled with gear for Israel.
The Hewlett-based ICC, founded and run by Moshe Bodner and Jeff Eisenberg, has been serving as a hub for charity and chesed since the war broke out, offering a range of opportunities for the local community to support their brothers and sisters in Israel.
Cedarhurst Mayor Benjamin Weinstock, Lawrence Mayor Samuel Nahmias, and other notable supporters were in attendance, including Michael Fragin, representing County Executive Bruce Blakeman. Mayor Weinstock led the crowd in reciting Tehillim, followed by Cantor Shalom Jacobs singing the Mi Sheberach for the Chayalim and leading a communal singing of Acheinu.
Ron Segev has told his story of survival hundreds of times, and he admits it never gets easy. He says he hopes to be remembered as more than just a survivor. He shares that he was a professional bridge champion at age 22, having played from the age of 13 until 30.
Segev shared his story of survival on October 7th, from his plan to attend the Nova Music Festival with a group of friends that included his brother Dan and married friends, Adir and Sarah. He recalls how they were enjoying the beautiful holiday as the sun began to rise that fateful morning, until the first rockets hit and the terror attack began.
Segev recounts all the maneuvers and life and death decisions he and his friends made to save their lives: hiding here, running there, narrowly escaping death several times. “Miracles and miracles happened that day,” Segev recalls.
At one point, with Hamas terrorists rampaging nearby, Segev closed his eyes, feeling as if he was about to die. As the threat of death loomed nearby, he was overcome by a strong memory. He vividly recalled his bar mitzvah, and when he opened his eyes, the Arabs were gone. He had survived another encounter.
Spotting a car nearby with its engine running (after previously abandoning his own) Segev and his brother jumped in and began driving, filling the car with as many people they could fit. After they squeezed in eleven people, they found one more desperate survivor…and squeezed him in.
Terror and chaos surrounded them. Nobody knew which direction would be safe to drive, but when his brother Dan said he felt like he was having a heart attack, Segev knew they had to get him to safety. He raced out of the area, passing every checkpoint, and made his way to Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva by 10:30 a.m. His brother was diagnosed with a combination of an asthma attack and a panic attack that simulated a heart attack. By the next day, the brothers returned safely home.
Segev says that what saved him was thinking of himself as a champion, that he was exceptional, like his days playing bridge when he was unbeaten. He reminded the audience to feel as if they are also exceptional, like champions. He said this mentality is what bolstered his courage during those intense moments of fear and can help others tap into their innate courage during times of crisis.
Surviving the attack of 10/7 was a tremendous miracle, but surviving the subsequent trauma was the next huge challenge for Segev. Every time he blinked, he would experience flashbacks of his experience. He suffered from severe depression for almost five months and he had trouble sleeping, which led to other problems, such as memory loss and lack of concentration. He says he made it through that dark period with the support of family and friends; his uncle came to visit every day until he agreed to go outside. Segev shared with the audience the tools that helped him get out of depression, namely, getting out of the house, therapy, and volunteering. He also began telling his story.
“Before we can dance again, we need to learn to live again,” said Segev.
The Tribe of Nova immediately founded a support group for the survivors, providing food, therapy, and comfort for three months. Programming currently runs once a week at a location in central Israel, offering activities, mentorship programs, and therapy in the hopes of helping everyone return to normal life.
Among the Nova survivors, there have been four suicides. “Our battle has just begun. Even if the war ends right now, trauma is something that stays with you for a long time,” Segev cautions.
Segev shared that he has personally grown closer to his Judaism since October 7. He describes how he felt like someone was protecting him “like an invisible shield around my body” among the thousands of bullets that rained around him.
The strong flash of memories he had while hiding on October 7th, particularly recalling his bar mitzvahspeech as a 13-year-old boy, made a big impact on Segev. He also found out that his friends Adir and Sarah were expecting a baby, adding an additional thirteenth soul in the car that day. He took it all in as a message and now puts on tefillin almost every day.
Despite the difficulty, Segev aims to keep spreading his message of resilience with others as long as it’s needed. With a full room of people alongside mountains of full duffle bags that will soon be sent to Israel and pictures of the hostages lining the walls, Segev’s story made a huge impact that night.
In the spirit of going “from strength to strength,” the 10,000th duffel bag was followed by number 10,001. The evening wrapped up with festooning the Israel-bound duffel bags with messages of love and support from the Five Towns community.
