Only tallit survived Gaza rocket attack on Brits’ home in Israel
Robert Wolf says his five-month old grand-daughter Tamara and his wife Susan were now both out of hospital, as his family begins the rebuilding process after the attack
The British-Israeli family whose house was destroyed by a rocket from Gaza last week has told of how the only item to survive the brunt of the blast was an old family tallit.
Speaking to Jewish News, Robert Wolf said his five-month old grand-daughter Tamara and his wife Susan were now both out of hospital, having suffered from shrapnel wounds, and that the family was beginning a rebuilding process.
“Tamara still has shrapnel in her head and they’re deciding what to do about it,” said Wolf, 59. “It may need surgery or it may come out naturally, we don’t know yet. Susan is also home. They’re doing a CAT scan on her later. But everyone’s good, thank God.”
He and six of his family are currently staying with his daughter – “we’ve taken over her home” – after a 60kg rocket destroyed most of their house near Tel Aviv last week, but among the wreckage he discovered a miraculous survivor.
“The room the rocket hit was just totally destroyed, literally everything. We lost a lot of personal possessions,” he said.
“But as we were sifting through, incredibly, we found my father’s tallit. It’s quite special. It’s been used on the chuppa at the weddings of three of my children. Now it can be used for future family weddings too.”
Asked about his rebuilding plans, he said: “The house is totalled but we’re going to rebuild on the same plot. We’re Zionists – we’re not going anywhere. The main thing is that everyone’s alive, that’s all that counts.”
Wolf said the physical destruction was by far the lesser issue. “The worst aspect is the emotional side of it. You think you’re safe in your own home. That’s been the hardest part to accept. As a parent or grandparent, you just want to know that when you put your children to bed at night, that they’ll be safe.”
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