Kissin Family From Kibbutz Kerem Shalom on October 7 | Kan 7.10.360

Over the Simchat Torah weekend, the Kissin family gathered at Roni and Ofer's home in Kerem Shalom. Roni and Ofer, both 58, hosted their four children and their families. Their son Evyatar (24), their daughter Sivan (28), and her partner stayed overnight. At 6:30 a.m., the family awakes by the blare of Red Alert sirens. They rush to the reinforced house's safe room, taking the family dog with them

The family takes shelter in the safe room and watches the news. Ofer, who had previously served as the kibbutz’s Ravshatz (Military Ongoing Security Coordinator), senses that something far from ordinary is unfolding. Trusting his instincts, he retrieves his weapon. Both Roni and Ofer are volunteer medics with United Hatzalah. Bracing for the worst, Ofer gathers their emergency gear—a medical bag, a helmet, and a bulletproof vest As they shelter inside the safe room, the news broadcasts a harrowing video from Sderot, showing armed terrorists roaming the city in a pickup truck. An hour and a half later, still sheltering, Roni goes on live television on Yair Weinerb’s show on "Kan Reshet Bet".

Rotem (32), Roni and Ofer’s eldest daughter also lives in Kibbutz Kerem Shalom with her husband and their two children. In preparation for the holiday meal and family gathering, Roni cooked a large amount of food and told Rotem not to buy groceries to avoid waste. Around 10 a.m., Rotem calls her father, asking him to get them food while sheltering in their safe room. Before heading out, Ofer notifies the community emergency team (Tzachi) to ensure they don’t mistake him for a terrorist on his way. He then dashes to his daughter’s house. On his way back, near his home, he spots members of the Kibbutz' security squad, Yedidya Raziel and Meiri Finish, taking cover behind a row of trash bins, with their weapons drawn. Stopping briefly, he hands them a bottle of water and slices of cake

Moments after their encounter, Meiri Finish from the security squad phone calls Ofer, informing him that team members are at the neighboring Schindler family’s home, where several people are critically wounded and in urgent need of medical care. Without hesitation, Roni and Ofer grab their medical gear and set out. As they make their way, Roni spots a terrorist firing at them from behind the wall that separates the kibbutz from the Gaza Strip. Reacting instinctively, she pushes Ofer aside just as she feels a sharp impact on her hand. She collapses to the ground and realizes a bullet has grazed her. Yair Weisner, another member of the security squad, directs them to a side path and provides covering fire against the terrorists

Roni reaches the Schindler family’s home, where she spots Amichai Weitzen lying motionless near the house. She kneels to assess him and quickly realizes he is already dead. A member of the security squad signals to her that another wounded individual lies between the Schindler home and the kibbutz wall. Approaching cautiously, she finds Yedidya Raziel. She checks his condition and realizes there is nothing that can be done to save him either Meanwhile, Ofer has already reached the Schindler house. Roni must follow—but the route is completely exposed to terrorist gunfire. The emergency squad members assure her they will cover her. Without hesitation, she breaks into a sprint, calling out, “Cover me! Cover me!”

Roni arrives at the Schindler family’s home and finds Ofer inside. The house is in ruins, a scene of devastation. She and Ofer provide emergency medical care to Amichai Schindler, who is critically wounded. They secure a tourniquet around his injured arm and administer an IV, all while the security squad fights off terrorists just outside the door. After stabilizing Amichai, Roni steps into the family’s reinforced safe room, where she finds Avital Schindler and her six children singing Sukkot hymns and praying for their father’s recovery

Roni helps Avital Schindler and her six children evacuate to the neighboring Weitzen family’s home. Meanwhile, Ofer transports Amichai Schindler to the emergency command center, set up in the kibbutz’s secretariat building. There, a doctor who happened to be visiting the kibbutz that day, along with Mai Caspi, a kibbutz resident trained as a combat medic, is already tending to the wounded. Upon arriving at the command center, Roni spots her medic’s bag—the one she had left outside the Schindler home. She realizes it had been used to treat Yair Weisner, a member of the emergency squad, who had suffered severe injuries from an RPG strike. Together, the four work tirelessly, providing medical care to the stream of wounded arriving throughout the day. Later, they are joined by Dudi Rabi, another member of the security squad and a trained medic

At 17:00, the last wounded individual is evacuated from the kibbutz to a field hospital established in Moshav Naveh. With the command center now empty, Roni, alongside soldiers from the Nahal Brigade' Reconnaissance, helps clean the facility. Rachel Elmakayes, head of the community emergency team, asks Roni to accompany her along with a few other individuals to the Weitzen family’s home to deliver the devastating news of Amichai’s death. Meanwhile, Ofer heads to the kibbutz armory, where he assists the security squad in repairing malfunctioning weapons. Later that evening, as Roni and Ofer finally return home, they receive yet another heartbreaking blow—their close friend, Avraham Korin, the Ravshatz (Military Ongoing Security Coordinator) of Kibbutz Holit, has also been killed

Three of Roni and Ofer’s four children spend the night at their parents’ home. In one of the safe rooms, Yiftach (31), Sivan (28), Evyatar (24), and their partners sleep side by side, while Roni and Ofer stay in the other safe room. Their eldest daughter, Rotem (32), remains at home with her husband and two children. At 2:30 a.m., a message from the Kibbutz emergency team instructs residents to prepare for evacuation. Roni immediately wakes the family, and together they pack their belongings. However, the evacuation does not take place until much later—at 8:00 p.m. that evening