Raphael Poch: In the wake of October 7, young burn survivor Yael Golan is regaining her strength and confidence through life-changing hydrotherapy in her own community—part of Jewish National Fund-USA’s commitment to helping families in Israel’s South return, rebuild, and move forward together.
When Hamas terrorists set fire to their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023, Ariel and Ellay Golan—trapped inside with their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Yael—made a split-second decision that would save their family’s lives.
Ariel forged a path through the flames, intensified by a gas balloon the terrorists had thrown into the house. Behind Ariel, Ellay, then a medical student, wrapped young Yael in her clothing and shielded the toddler with her body as they fled. When they finally escaped their burning home, located just a mile from the Gaza border, the family hid in a non-residential area of the kibbutz before finding a soldier who could help them.
