A sanctuary of togetherness and hope

Feeling uplifted is a rarity in the days of this protracted war. But after an incredible day volunteering at Shuva Junction during a recent trip to Israel, I can honestly say that I feel uplifted.

Uplifted by the brave soldiers I spoke to, uplifted by the dedication of the volunteers I worked alongside, uplifted by the goodness that shines through all the surrounding evil, uplifted by the smiles despite all the challenges, and fundamentally uplifted by the spirit of Am Yisrael.

Moshav Shuva is located approximately six kilometres from the Gaza border but was miraculously spared the pogroms of October 7. The junction at the entry of the moshav quickly became the site of an emergency field hospital and evacuation point, and an improvised command centre for IDF operations.

Instinctively responding to a need for help, three brothers from the moshav brought a trestle table and urn down to the crossroad junction and started to serve coffee to the shell-shocked soldiers. Their initiative quickly grew to a large scale rest stop for soldiers to be nourished with hot meals.

577 days later, “Shuva Achim” serves thousands of meals every day and is an oasis of love and care, metres away from the bloody battlefields of the war.