יום אחד באוקטובר

by Yair Agmon, Oriya Mevorach, יאיר אגמון (Author's Hebrew name)

שי־לי הכניסה זרת לפה של תינוקת בת חודש, שלמה התיישב על כורסה ועשה עצמו ישן, נסרין הוציאה את השרוכים מהנעליים של הילדים, מיקי ביקש מהמחבל לקיים את ההבטחה, עמית ליטפה את הפצוע האחרון במרפאה, ענר הדף שבעה רימונים מהמיגונית, עמנואל דאג שמכתב האהבה של החייל ההרוג, יגיע ליעדו.

והכול קרה ביום אחד. ביום אחד באוקטובר. זה היה אחד הימים העצובים בתולדות העם היהודי. מדינת ישראל קרסה מול עינינו. הארץ התמלאה בחללים, בחטופים ובפליטים. זה היה הרגע הכי נמוך שלנו, הכי חלש שלנו, הכי חשוף שלנו. אבל גם אז, דווקא אז, באותו היום ממש – קמו ועלו לנו גיבורים.

הם היו גיבורים כמו פעם. כמו בתנ"ך, כמו בתש"ח. גיבורים מסוג גיבורים. ולצד העצב המר והכלימה הצורבת, לצד הפחד, המועקה והדממה, הם העניקו לנו את האפשרות לספר סיפור אחר. לראות את הטוב, לשמוח באור, לזכור את החסד. ואת הסיפור הזה אנחנו מספרים עכשיו למען הדור ההלום שלנו, למען החיבוק שכולנו זקוקים לו, ולמען הדורות הבאים.

יום אחד באוקטובר הוא פרויקט מונולוגים ספרותי, שאפתני וחד־פעמי, שמעניק לקוראיו היכרות עם ארבעים גיבורים שהיו באמת. הסיפורים כולם מתרחשים באותן עשרים וארבע שעות, באותו חבל ארץ יפהפה וכואב. מי שיתחיל לקרוא בהם לא יוכל להניח את הספר מידיו. הגיבורים בלתי נשכחים. הסיפורים בלתי נתפסים. ובתוך כל התופת והצער הם מציעים לקוראים בהם רגע צלול של נחמה.

Genres: Nonfiction, Israel, Jewish, History, War, Historical

325 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2024

Reviews

[Louise Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

ONE DAY IN OCTOBER. Forty Heroes, Forty Stories . By Yair Agmon and Oriya Mevorach.
Let me start off by saying loud and clear - this is a book I wish I never had to read!!! But … sadly it’s a book that the whole world now needs to read!!! Thank you Yair and Oriya for so magnificently honouring the lives of these heroes.
We can all take the easy road and say, “I can’t, it’s just too heartbreaking.”
Or “I have to be in the right headspace for this book. I read the newspapers from cover to cover, I can’t read anymore.”
I know it’s just my personal opinion but we need to keep reading about the horrors and heroes of October 7. We need to honour and pay our respects and read the stories of these 40 heroes, some who so bravely and miraculously survived unimaginable atrocities, and those that gave up their lives, valiantly fighting to protect Israel, the country and the people they loved .
To the thousands and thousands of soldiers and civilians whose stories are not told in this book, to you we give our deepest gratitude for your extraordinary bravery. Each one of you a hero.
This remarkable book of over 500 pages shares the stories from grieving parents, wives, children as young as 8 and 13, all sharing their unimaginable pain and grief. Just when you think there could be no sadder or braver story, the next chapter simply punches you in the gut with yet another hard-to-comprehend account of someone’s emotional and harrowing experience.
When a beautiful 8 year old young girl who is a hostage in Gaza, shares in her own words how, when told she will be set free the following day, refuses to leave Gaza until her best friend is also released! Beautiful girl, thank you for your bravery. How lucky is your friend to have someone like you as a best friend! Or the remarkable hero who so bravely removes body after body, is then asked to visit a 92 Holocaust survivor who survived Dr Mengele’s human experiments. When he shows him photos of what he had seen, this 92 year old began to weep. He said, “what you have seen there even we didn’t see, It’s worse than the Holocaust.” One last thought I will leave you with - the words of yet another super hero Eran Masas (who certainly deserves superman wings) -“ If I hadn’t gone down South, if I had sat at home watching the news, acting like some kind of victim, I would never have forgiven myself. So much so that I would have seriously considered leaving the country, just because I wouldn’t be able to show my face in public. I would never be able to live here.” Now that is what I call a hero!
Thank you to each and every superhero , to every civilian that so bravely hid in shelters, terrified for their lives, to every brave soldier that fought and died for their country.
Thank you. We salute you all.
A book we all need to read!!!

[Bonnie Baum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely write a review of a book. This book, however, is one of the most important books I’ve read. It is an understatement to say everyone should educate themselves on October 7 and the impact it had upon, Israelis,gazans, other countries in the world and Jews, Muslims, Bedouins , Christians ,atheists etc… I have loved other books about Oct 7 like the Gates of Gaza. This book tells real life events of many people in their own voice. This book needs to be on every high school, college reading list. It’s way past time for the world to learn about Oct 7!

[Amiad · Rating 4 out of 5]

סיפורם של אנשים שונים וגיבורים במתקפת שמחת תורה.

ספר מורכב לקריאה. האנשים שמסופר עליהם הם גיבורים, אבל די מדכא לקרוא.
בנוסף הסיפורים בכוונה לא ערוכים ולפעמים לא ממוקדים או לא ברורים, והיה כדאי לערוך גם אם המטרה היתה לשמור על השפה הטבעית. לטעויות בפיסוק אין הצדקה.

לקרוא במנות קטנות, לא יותר מסיפור או שניים ברצף. ככה הסיפורים מחזקים ולא מדכאים.

[Max Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever think about what can happen in one day? A little over 500 days ago was an ordinary day in October… until it wasn’t. For many in Israel, that dreadful day in October was the start of a nightmare that is still ongoing.

This book is a tribute to the heroes of that dark day in Israel. If you want to read the heart-breaking and awe-inspiring accounts of this day through the eyes of forty different ordinary people who rose to the occasion when it came, pick up this book.

Some samples stories include a 14-year-old girl who communicated with members of her community through WhatsApp and forwarded their locations and messages to the Duvdevan special forces unit, an ambulance team that evacuated 60 wounded, an Arabic-speaking Druze woman who interrogated terrorists that were captured, a female tatzpitaniyot (surveillance soldier in the IDF) who had warned of Hamas activity leading up to October 7th, a father who shot and killed the Hamas commander who carried out the entire massacre in Nahal Oz, Emily Hand the 8-year-old Irish girl who was taken hostage from Kibbutz Be’eri, and many, many others.

These people are all heroes. Thank God that many of the hostages have returned, but their lives will never be the same. We’re still wet from this October rain. May the rest of the hostages return, and may Hamas and the Palestinian terrorists be eliminated from the face of the earth.

Life is fragile. None of us knows what could happen tomorrow. The most important thing in the world is to know that you have eternal life and be secure in God.

Hold your loved ones close. And don’t forget what is most important here.

[Josh Sussman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, a translation from the original Hebrew, is obviously a difficult read. But while painful, terrifying and heartbreaking it is also inspiring, humbling and hopeful. The heroes depicted in these pages are, for the most part, everyday people who, when faced with the terror of October 7 rose above the chaos to levels of bravery, character and heroism that most people cannot even imagine. For those of us who lived through this day and its aftermath in real time, it is a must read because it offers hope amid the darkness and serves as a testament to our brothers and sisters who sacrificed everything on that day and our heroes who have fought to protect us ever since. To those outside of Israel, Jews and non-Jews alike, it is also a must read as it bears witness to the horrors of that darkest of days. A day that our enemies began denying before our people's blood was even dry.

Thank you to all involved in this important effort.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible book written in the voice of the various amazing people who stood up and did not back down in a time of absolute crisis in life and death situations. Each story is a a world in itself.

A testament to the bravery and resilience of the people of Israel. Stories come from Jews, Christians and Muslims showing the anyone can choose stand up to evil.

Highly recommended!

[Amy Grossman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an extremely hard and very emotional book to read. Yet, I feel this is such an important book to read by everyone! The atrocities of Oct 7th were also met with so many brave heroes. Far too many lives were lost but heroes did everything to save lives. I highly recommend this book.

[Ronit Sarig · Rating 5 out of 5]

ספר שקוראים לאט, סיפור אחד כל פעם. ואז מניחים כי צריך לעכל, לחשוב, להסביר למוח העקשן שכל זה באמת קרה. הלב נשבר.

[Tammie Rapps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each hero is a world. Each hero saved worlds. On the darkest day in recent Jewish history, glimmers of light emerged. This book shares the stories of 40 of these sparks of light.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly heartbreaking. Incredibly important to read.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met the authors when they came to do a panel at BT and got a signed copy. Expected this book to be a hard read, but the authors promoted it as uplifting. I thought it was hard/emotional.

[Avi Eisenman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure I can recommend this one enough. 40 powerful stories of heroism on October 7th. 40 varying perspectives and testimonies on the events of that dark day. Soldiers, residents, paramedics, party-goers, caretakers. Gripping, inspiring, and heartbreaking all at the same time.

לא בטוח שאני יכול להמליץ ​​על זה מספיק. 40 סיפורי גבורה רבי עוצמה מה7 באוקטובר. 40 נקודות מבט ועדויות שונות על אירועי אותו יום חשוך. חיילים, תושבים, פרמדיקים, חוגגים, מטפלים. סוחף, מעורר השראה ושובר לב בו זמנית.

[Jord · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️5.0

[Israel Drazin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hamas brutal war started on October 7, 2023. The attack was on the Jewish Shabbat. It was one of the most tragic days in Israel’s history. Many hundreds of Hamas terrorist fighters attacked Israel's homes along the Gaza border with Israel.
Ignoring basic morality, the Hamas fighters savagely killed 1,200 people: Jewish Israelis, Arab Israelis, Americans, and people from other countries visiting or working in Israel. It made no difference to them whether their victim was young or old, male or female, able-bodied or disabled. They even killed babies. Not only did they kill people, but they also brutalized them before killing them. They raped women and young girls before murdering them.
They also took 250 hostages with them when they returned to Gaza. They treated them badly and even murdered some of them without any sensible reason while they were imprisoned.
Israel’s response to the savagery was more moral than that of any other nation.
The Toby Press 2024 English translation of Israel's number one Hebrew bestseller, One Day in October, tells the stories of forty heroes who performed remarkable acts on that bloody Shabbat. The stories are dramatic and inspiring. The heroes usually tell them, but a surviving relative or friend narrates the tale when they are killed during their heroism.
We read about people such as the following:
A husband stands at a window shooting at the terrorists and does not run, knowing he will soon be killed, giving up his life so that his wife, holding their baby, has time to run and live. His wife tells how he died and how she misses him.
A young husband and wife talked about the forty-five hundred people at the Nova festival when it was attacked; how they lost friends they had watched dancing, how the husband, a medic, saved lives, and the miracle that occurred that day with a jar of Vaseline, somewhat similar to the miracle of Hannukah. A month after the horror, they started a non-profit called “For the Survivors and the Wounded.”
A 48-year-old retired kindergarten teacher rushed in her car to the battle several times and evacuated a total of twelve casualties, including her son, who survived.
An 85-year-old man, the opposite of all the other heroes, was very gentle. He loved acting. When his wife and her caretaker rushed to the shelter and called for him to come, he refused to go. He sat on a chair and waited for the butchers, acting as if he was the only person in the home. The killers destroyed the door, came in, and found the old man sitting alone and were fooled. His niece tells how he saved the people in the shelter when they were content to murder the old man.
A soldier, age 19, gave up his life when a grenade was tossed into his tank. He picked up the grenade, pressed it to his chest, turned his back to his friends in the tank, and the grenade exploded. It took eight painful minutes for him to die. His dad told his story. He said his son’s friends told him: In the future, people will talk about the heroes such as your son. They saved our country. It doesn’t matter to them whether they’re right-wing, left-wing, Arab, or religious.
There are more stories, such as a black Jew married to a white woman who died heroically to save others, ambulance drivers who drove back and forth to bring the wounded out of harm’s way until they were killed themselves, and strictly Orthodox Jews who went to the battle to save people on that Shabbat even though generally unless it was a matter of life and death, as it was that day, it was prohibited. There is also the tale of a non-Jewish Philippine caretaker of an old woman who saved the old woman from the terrorists. She was scheduled to return to her homeland the next day, but after her experience, she decided to stay in Israel.

[Tzivya Katsman · Rating 4 out of 5]

אפתח בזה שקשה עד בלתי אפשרי לכתוב ביקורת לספר כזה, שכל כולו דברים שקרו באמת, ממש כמה עשרות קילומטרים ממני. אז קודם כל - זה ספר שצריך שיהיה בכל בית. ישבתי וקראתי בדמעות עד אמצע הלילה.
הוא לא מספר סיפור אחד; יש נקודות שעולות בכמה מהסיפורים ותמונה כללית שמצטיירת על "יום אחד באוקטובר", רגשות שמשותפים להרבה מהם, הכרת תודה, הפתעה, זעזוע - אבל כל סיפור עומד לחוד.
אין לספר אמירה פוליטית ברורה. הוא פשוט מספר סיפורים של בני אדם - כואבים, אמיצים, ובעיקר אוהבים מאוד. מכל עמוד, מכל פסקה, ממש אפשר להרגיש את האהבה - לאהובים שמספרים עליהם, לקיבוץ, לבני משפחה, לאנשים נוספים שהיו מסביב, למדינה. ויש שורות תחתונות שהתחברתי אליהן יותר ופחות אבל זה לא משנה, כי הן באמת לא החלק החשוב. הספר הזה מעביר את המיקרופון למי שיש לו מה לספר, וזה צעד מאוד מאוד חשוב בפני עצמו.
יש בו כבר סיפורים שסופרו; על חלק גדול מהגיבורים שמעתי. אבל לא ככה, מקצה לקצה, עם הפרטים והרקע. זה לא ספר שחוגג מוות, או מפרט אותו בצורה גרפית; אבל הוא מצייר תמונה שלמה.
כמו כן, הכותרת היא סיפורי גבורה. אבל ברור שכל אחד מהסיפורים הוא רק מחסה בשביל הסיפור על האדם, מי שהוא היה, ואיזה חוסר הוא מותיר אחריו. ממש היה אפשר לשים לב לזה גם, בהבדלים בין הסיפורים שמסופרים בגוף ראשון - של אנשים ששרדו - לבין הסיפורים שאחרים מספרים על אהוביהם.
עוד קצת עבודת עריכה לא הייתה מזיקה - אות פה, מילה שם - וגם הייתי שמחה שהסיפורים היו מסודרים באיזשהו אופן אחר, אולי לפי תמות (מיקום? שעה?) אבל מבינה שזו חלק מהתחושה שהספר מנסה לגרום לה כנראה - הכל קורה בכל מקום, בבת אחת, לאף אחד לא ברור מה קורה.

המלצה חמה. לשמור הרבה טישו ליד. ולקרוא בחלקים

[andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shaylee placed her little finger in her newborn baby’s mouth to keep her quiet. Shlomo sat on the couch and pretended to be asleep. Nasreen removed the laces from her children’s shoes. Mickey demanded that the terrorist keep his promise. Amit comforted the last patient in the clinic. Aner threw seven live grenades out of the public shelter. Emanuel made sure that a fallen soldier’s love letter would reach its destination.
And it all happened on a single day, one day in October. October 7th, 2023, was the most tragic day in Israeli history. Hamas terrorist forces attacked and ravaged the Gaza border area, killing 1200 and taking 250 hostage. Hamas murdered and brutalized young and old, Jew and non-Jew, civilian and soldier. And in response, from every strand of Israeli society, heroes stepped forward to save lives and defend their humanity.
One Day in October introduces us to forty real-life Israeli heroes from that day, in their own words. All forty stories take place within the same twenty-four-hour period, in the same patch of beautiful, broken, blood-soaked land. These heroes are unforgettable, their stories inconceivable. Emerging from the pain and sorrow inflicted on that day, these first-person accounts offer consolation and hope.

[Moran V · Rating 5 out of 5]

There aren't enough words to describe how much this is a must read book about the terrible events of October 7th 😞
43 stories about heroes and Heroines, people who in so e cases sacrificed their life so other can be saved and live.
Book full of sadness but at the same time full of hope.
Out of the darkness of that day there was so much light from unexpected places and people who were ordinary people the night before discovered they are capable of extraordinary acts of bravery.
The stories are from civilians, soldiers, police officers, Jews, Muslims, Druze and they show us the diversity of life in Israel.
One Day In October will make you cry sad tears but also happy tears for the people who were saved and are alive thanks to strangers of saved them.

[Perlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the sea of propaganda, 'narratives', and Pallywood tales, truth is bracing. Returning to the events of October 7, their brutality, cruelty, grisliness, was all a necessary course correction. It's taken me a year to allow myself exposure to any of this, but it was necessary and therapeutic in a strange way.
We will be grappling with this moment in history for many years to come, and scholars will examine -- and uncover -- the tracks that led to this day, and the year that followed.
For now, we must show respect to those who died and those who endured, by hearing their voice and sitting with them.

[Daphne Lazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are 40+ testimonials in this book that are share acts of humanity and compassion and bravery in the face of the worst depravity. It captures so many of the angles from civilians, rescue workers and soldiers, Jews and non-Jewish people, in homes, the streets and at a music festival — as told by survivors or by their next of kin. It is a heavy read. I had to put it down and walk away in between chapters. At this point I have read it in its entirety in English and in Hebrew. And I will definitely read it again.

[Dafnakott · Rating 3 out of 5]

ממש הייתי רוצה לתת לספר הזה 5 כוכבים
כי הוא באמת מדהים במהותו והסיפורים מדהימים ומעוררי השראה
אבל המסגרת של הספר פשוט הפריעה ממש לקריאה
היה חסר בעיני עבודת עריכה, אולי זה פוגע באותנטיות אבל יותר מנגיש את זה כספר לקוראים
והסדר של הסיפורים היה קצת מסורבל ומסובך, לא היה סדר אמיתי והיה הרבה יותר נוח לקריאה ועושה סדר בראש אם היה מסודר לפי מיקום/ סדר כרונולוגי
בנוסף הרגשתי שהספר יכל להסתיים אחרת- אולי עם אחרית דבר מהמחבר
אהבתי שלפעמים הסיפורים התקשרו אחד לשני
והמפה בסוף הייתה הכרחית
בגדול הספר חשוב מאוד פשוט יכל להכתב קצת אחרת :)

[Ayelet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories are very sad but it is so important to read them. I appreciated the fact that they transcribed the stories the way that people said them. You learn so much about the people from how they speak and what they think is important to tell. Some of the stories connected to each other - it was nice to recognize names that you had just read about.

[Caroline Berkowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the personal stories of 40 heroes of October 7, not all of whom survived the day. People of all ages and religions, they saved people young and old and gave comfort to those who were wounded and dying. They are among the newest heroes of the Jewish people. If you are looking for a book to read in shul on the holidays, this is a worthy choice.

[Zehava (Joyce) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is unbelievably heartbreaking and resonant. It tells the story of 40 different heroes of 10/7 in Israel. Some stories are told by the person who experienced them, many of the heroes died that day so their stories are told by loved ones. I cried many times while reading it and highly recommend for anyone interested in personal stories from that day.

[Yelenasigal · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most powerful books I have read recently. Poignant and inspiring stories of true heroes of October 7th from all walks of Israeli life and a glimpse of who they were as people beyond that. A must read for all who want to understand better what Israel went through on that terrible October 7th.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important book to read; beautifully written.

It’s a quick read but quite difficult to process emotionally.
This is an important first hand document of the atrocities committed on Israel on October 7, 2023 but it is also uplifting that so many people rose to the occasion out of love of people.

Highly recommended.

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important and deeply-moving read. This shares 40 different stories of the heroes of the October 7th massacre, told from each person’s perspective or retold by the person’s loved one(s). It was amazing to read about how people, from all backgrounds, stepped up to protect their country and its people, even if it meant losing their life to do so. 🇮🇱

[Chava · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing, amazing book that is both heartbreaking and inspiring. A must read to get a glimpse of what happened on October 7th and how many people took the initiative and saved others. Thank you for the map, which puts many of the stories in context.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I encourage every single person I know to read this book. Moving, inspiring, riveting, heartwrenching...I learned so much from each hero and their families. I read this to prepare for Tisha b'Av and it truly brought meaning to the fast.

[Barbara Zuckerbrot · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read.

[Gayle Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heroes are not just military. Heart wrenching and endearing. Written as transcribed exactly from the heroes themselves unedited. A must read.