Rabbi David Fendel, dean of the Sderot Yeshiva, and his son, Dr. Gedalya Fendel, joined the special Arutz Sheva broadcast with the Israel Government Tourist Corporation and the Ministry of Heritage at the Burnt Vehicles Compound in Southern Israel to discuss the Yeshiva's ordeal since the war broke out.
"It was a tragic day, but our experience was one of heroism. Gone are the days when Yeshiva students didn't know how to fight back - our students managed to kill three terrorists. Later, we focused on trying to give and help.'' Dr. Gedalya Fendel recounted how he and other first responders opened an impromptu field hospital for wounded Israeli forces, and how he and his wife helped two young children who had been traumatized by seeing their parents killed in front of them.
''We do not yet realize how great a salvation that day was on a national level," said Rabbi Fendel. "We are very optimistic about the war overall - Gaza is in ruins, Hezbollah was neutralized, we hold the Hermon in Syria, and we have been saved from existential theats. Great things are happening."
He urged the nation to hold onto its unity. "We definitely need to keep our respect for those who disagree with us. we also need to avoid the one-track mindset that we must do everything to get the hostages and nothing else.''
Dr. Fendel explained the vision for the Burnt Vehicles Compound. ''This isn't the Warsaw Ghetto, we're not telling the stories of the tragedies. We will plant a forest for revival, and focus on the stories of heroism. We will make this an edible forest of fruit trees - in the Torah, planting fruti trees is one of the first commandements associated with settling the land."
Rabbi Fendel added, "These trees will outlive all of us, and allow the generations that will still be here despite the war to learn all the hreoic deeds that happened here."