On October 7, 2024, Shimon Rotches of Great Barrington shared his family’s story with the Berkshire Jewish community at the commemoration of the Oct. 7 attack in Israel held at Knesset Israel in Pittsfield.

“Mila is dead. I’m severely injured, please get the military here … help! “

This was the last text message from Ohad Cohen’s Apple Watch on October 7th at 11 a.m.

Ohad is my brother-in-law. Mila is my niece. She was 9 months old. They were both brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists that day. Ohad’s mother, Yona, was also murdered.

My name is Shimon Rotches. I’ve lived in Great Barrington for the past 21 years with my wife Natali and my kids, Ethan and Aria.

My wife Natali could not be here today because she is in Israel, spending these very sad days with her sister Sandra and our two nephews.

It hit home ….

October 7 – Saturday morning at 7 a.m. will forever be in my mind. In effect, it is every Saturday and, unfortunately, even every day that I and so many others relive what happened. Life after October 7th will never be the same.

The night before, on Friday, October 6th, I was watching an Israeli documentary about the Yom Kippur War and fell asleep to the Israeli version of “Let It Be” [Lu Yehi] by Chava Albertstein. Who would know that a few hours later, Israel would find herself in another horrible surprise attack 50 years later?

My niece Mila came to this world after the family wanted to have a princess after having 2 boys, Liam and Dillan. Unfortunately, we never got a chance to meet Mila in person before she got murdered. But she was sweet and beautiful and brought light and love to the family.

My brother-in-law Ohad was 43 years old. He was the third child out of four. Ohad grew up in the city and moved with his family to Kibbutz Be’eri in his early childhood.

Ohad was an amazing dad. He was a master of handstands, a super smart computer troubleshooter, a great DJ, and a person who could hold a conversation with you so well. He was a great uncle to my kids. He never missed sending recorded birthday wishes to them. 

Ohad was murdered after saving his wife, Sandra, and his 2 boys with his last breath. He was executed by Hamas terrorists in front of his wife and his two boys after they had jumped out of their safe room window in order to get out of the smoky apartment, which had been set on fire. He had been severely injured from multiple gunshots through the safe room door.

I have great memories with Ohad of the times we spent together with our families, many of them from our visits to Kibbutz Be’eri.

Yona Cohen was Ohad’s mother and Mila’s grandmother. She was 72 years old. She, too, was murdered by Hamas terrorists. She was found dead with her hands tight up behind her back with a zip tie. 

Yona was the best grandma a family could have asked for. She also lived in the kibbutz and was always there for Ohad, Sandra, and the kids. She was there for them all the time, whenever they needed her. She made the boys their favorite food and took them for fun rides around the kibbutz on her personal golf cart.

Three generations murdered, erased from our family on one Saturday holiday morning.

My sister-in-law Sandra was severely injured, and, after she watched her husband executed in front of her and her sons, the terrorists told the boys to put her clothes on because they were ready to take them to Gaza as hostages.

Sandra and the boys were taken to another house where the terrorists kept all the females and the kids. Hours went by, but eventually, Israeli special forces closed in, and a shooting battle started. Sandra grabbed the two boys and ran outside to save themselves. On the way out, Sandra fell and fainted from a gunshot wound, and she and the boys got separated.

Shortly after, Israeli soldiers rescued the boys, and then Sandra too was rescued. They did not know if she would survive her injuries. She was quickly moved to a hospital in the south. The boys were taken to a hospital in the center of Israel without knowing what had happened to their mom and if she even survived.

When all this was happening, Natalie and I were sitting with no information other than that first text. I remember the minutes…the hours waiting with fear in our hearts. The agony of watching the terror attack unfold on the news, our friends, Dara and Ofer Kaufman, by our sides while we tried to get any information we could. Not knowing if our family is dead or alive. Or even worse, taken hostage. 

Around 2 p.m. we finally got the news. Liam suffered ricochet wounds to his head. With a minor surgery or two, he would be ok.

Dylan, only 3 years old, was suffering from smoke inhalation.

Sandra had an open fracture from a bullet that had gone through her arm and into baby Mila’s head, killing Mila on the spot. Another bullet got stuck in her lungs, and she was suffering from other gunshot wounds.

They have since recovered from the physical wounds, but they will never fully recover from the sheer brutality and trauma they have experienced. Neither will the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives have been shattered because of this savage and unprovoked assault on Israel.

From a song by Yehuda Poliker:

There, in the dust and the sky's blue

A bundle of peace is asleep.

Sleep flower, sleep

Sleep, little girl.