Returning to Holit: A Family's Journey of Resilience in Israel's South
The Weintrob family shares their emotional journey of returning to Kibbutz Holit after 1,000 days of displacement, detailing the massive rebuilding efforts in Israel's southern border region.
Life in Israel's southern border communities involves a delicate balance of rebuilding, memory, and hope. For the Weintrob family from Kibbutz Holit, returning home after years of displacement following the events of October 7 is both a triumph of community resilience and a monumental logistical challenge.
Return to Holit
Yulia (45) and Alex (46), along with their 8-year-old son Harel, recently returned to Holit after spending nearly two and a half years away. Following the October 7 attacks, the entire kibbutz was initially evacuated to Ein Gedi, followed by extended stays in Ofakim and Revivim. The family's return marks the 1,000th day since their original displacement, a poignant milestone for a community that suffered profound losses.
"We were in the safe room for 14 hours during the attack," Alex recounts, reflecting on the horrors of October 7, which claimed the lives of 16 community members and four soldiers in a village of just 200 residents. Despite the immense trauma and the heavy physical toll on their home, the decision to return was never in question. "It's home," Yulia says simply, though she notes the emotional difficulty of returning to an almost empty neighborhood where many houses remain vacant or under reconstruction.
Rebuilding the Community
Holit is currently classified as a red kibbutz, alongside communities like Be'eri and Kfar Aza, due to the severe infrastructural damage and loss of life it experienced. The rebuilding effort is massive, involving new infrastructure and housing construction. Yulia, who serves as the head of the kibbutz absorption committee, is actively working to repopulate the area, currently managing eight families in the absorption process and overseeing the construction of 15 new homes.
Alex, an organizational consultant and reservist who spent extensive time on active duty following the outbreak of the war in Gaza, is also deeply involved in regional recovery. As one of the founders of the "Future for the Envelope" movement, he works tirelessly toward the rehabilitation of the southern border region. Despite the ongoing challenges, the family remains steadfast in their commitment to the kibbutz, pointing to the unique community spirit, open spaces, and high quality of life that first brought them to Holit 13 years ago.
