Rambam students and faculty were spellbound by the emunah and bitachon emanating from Einav Danino, mother of Ori, who was taken captive by Hamas on October 7. She delivered a life-changing message of resilience and faith in the face of the unfathomable.
Einav shared Ori’s story of strength and courage. Ori was taken hostage following his attendance at the Nova Festival. He first escaped piling as many people as he could into his car, but then returned to save more people, only to be captured and taken to Gaza.
Emphasizing the significance of Ori’s name, which translates to “light” in Hebrew, Einav and her family find solace in its symbolic representation of hope during these extremely challenging times. She also shared that Ori always encouraged her as well as everyone around him to “dream big.”
As students and staff gathered to provide support and comfort, the room radiated with Einav’s unwavering faith in Hashem, offering everyone a glimpse of her extraordinary resilience. Despite facing unimaginable challenges, she somehow finds the strength to express gratitude to Hashem for this test, remaining steadfast in her belief that everything will ultimately be alright. Her profound message serves as a remarkable lesson for our students, coming from someone enduring the most difficult period of their life.
Following Einav’s moving account, students and faculty united with her in reciting a chapter of Tehillim. They then encircled her, contributing to a book she carries with her, each adding a pledge to perform an additional mitzvah in merit of the hostages.
Since the October 7 attacks, Rambam students have organized many initiatives to support Israelis in need. Between running drives for essential equipment, packing bags for soldiers, organizing and shlepping luggage at JFK Airport, collecting winter clothes for displaced families, picking fruits on kibbutz farms, and bikur cholim visits to the wounded in Israeli hospitals, Rambam students have been involved wherever help has been needed. Hearing from Einav Danino has deepened the sense of purpose and importance of these efforts.
