Three Years After October 7: Daniel’s Story of Survival and Hope
For Daniel, October 7, 2023, is more than a date remembered by a nation. It is the day he survived an attack at the Supernova music festival, feared he had lost his parents, and began a painful journey through grief, survival, and faith.
Three years later, as Israel remembers the victims of the Hamas-led attacks, Daniel's experience reminds us that the wounds of trauma often remain long after the immediate danger has passed. For nearly 30 years, Great Commission Media Ministries (GCMM) has served in Israel and among Jewish communities. Today, through ongoing ministry partnerships and new trauma recovery resources, we continue seeking ways to bring compassion and the enduring hope of the Gospel to those who are hurting.
Three Years Later, the Grief Remains
On October 7, 2023, communities across southern Israel were attacked. People were killed in their homes and at the Supernova music festival, and 251 hostages were taken into Gaza.
Behind every number is someone deeply loved: a son or daughter, a spouse, a parent, or a friend. Three years have passed, but grief does not disappear as the calendar turns. We remember those who mourn and those who survived, even when much of the world's attention has moved elsewhere.
A Festival, a Fight for Survival, and a Family Reunited
Daniel was at the Supernova music festival near Re'im with his girlfriend when the attack began. As violence unfolded around them, he hid for hours in a shallow depression in the ground, waiting and hoping to survive.
His fear extended beyond his own life. His parents lived nearby in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, another community under attack. Unable to reach them, he feared they had been killed.
When Daniel finally escaped, he drove through scenes he would never forget before reaching safety in Beersheba. Then came news he had scarcely allowed himself to hope for: his family was alive. Attackers had entered his parents' home, but everyone in the family had survived.
The relief did not mean the nightmare was over. In the days that followed, Daniel attended funerals for several close friends who had been killed. He could embrace his parents again, while saying goodbye to friends he would never see again.
Finding Faith in the Midst of Trauma
Through that day, Daniel came away with a deep sense that God had protected his life. The God his mother had spoken about since his childhood was no longer only someone he had heard about. In the midst of the most traumatic day of his life, faith became deeply personal.
Gratitude and grief remain side by side in Daniel's story. God's protection does not erase the pain of losing friends or answer every question suffering creates. But it reminds us that we can turn toward God even in grief.
Psalm 34 tells us that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. We can come to Him with our sorrow, our questions, and the things we do not understand. For those walking alongside people who have suffered, this is also a calling to listen, make room for grief, and remain present.
GCMM's Continuing Ministry Among Jewish Communities
For almost three decades, GCMM has served in Israel and among Jewish communities through media outreach, ministry partnerships, and practical support for Holocaust survivors and new immigrants to Israel. At the heart of this work is a desire to serve with compassion and share the hope we have found in Jesus, Israel's Messiah.
Vladimir and Pirjo Karttunen have devoted their lives to ministry among Jewish people and continue to play an important role in this work. Supporting local congregations strengthens ministry where people live their daily lives. Television, digital media, and personal outreach create opportunities to hear about Jesus, ask questions, and explore the Christian faith.
We seek to meet people with respect and listen carefully to their stories. Christ's love is demonstrated in what we say and in how we walk alongside those who are hurting.
Helping Survivors Find a Path Toward Healing
GCMM is preparing trauma recovery resources for Israel, building on a similar initiative developed for people affected by the war in Ukraine. Hebrew and Russian editions are being prepared for people facing the emotional and spiritual consequences of war, loss, and trauma.
Personal stories from Israelis are also being gathered. Sharing painful experiences takes courage, yet one person's story can help another realize they are not alone. It can give words to feelings that have been difficult to express and become a first step toward seeking help, speaking about grief, or beginning to heal.
Daniel's experience reminds us why this work matters. Reaching physical safety does not mean trauma is over. Long after immediate danger has passed, people need someone willing to listen, a community, and hope for the next day.
Please pray for wisdom as these resources are prepared, for those willing to share painful parts of their stories, and for the people who will eventually receive the books.
How You Can Pray and Stand Alongside Those Who Hurt
Daniel's story is one of survival, grief, and the quiet hope that faith can bring in life's most difficult moments. Yet his experience is also a reminder of countless others who continue to carry the emotional and spiritual wounds of October 7.
Through local ministry partnerships, media outreach, and the development of trauma recovery resources, GCMM continues to share the love of Christ with people facing uncertainty and loss.
We invite you to pray for the families who are grieving, for survivors seeking healing, and for those preparing resources that will offer comfort and encouragement. Pray also for wisdom and strength for our ministry partners in Israel, and for peace throughout the region.
We continue to pray that more Jewish people will come to know Jesus as their Messiah and discover in Him a hope that can endure through life's darkest days.
Your prayers and generosity help GCMM continue its mission of reaching people with the hope of the Gospel.
Thank you for standing with us in prayer and helping share Christ's love with those who need hope.