One Day in October: Forty Heroes, Forty Stories
By Yair Agmon and Oriya Mevorach
The Toby Press
Jerusalem, 2024
385 pages
The October 7, 2023, attack on Israel traumatized a nation. The brutalities broadcast on the internet made the age-old oppression of Jews more real than any prayer or poem. For the rest of our lives, we will be able to testify that we are part of Jewish history, suffering horrific antisemitic violence like the victims of the Holocaust, the Chmielnicki massacres, the Spanish Inquisition, the Roman destruction and all the tragedies in between. October 7 made Jews all over the world feel like victims.
One Day in October: Forty Heroes, Forty Stories flips the script of that historical narrative. Authors Yair Agmon and Oriya Mevorach tell the October 7 stories of heroism, of standing up to the terrorists and saving lives. In the face of unspeakable brutality, ordinary people found incredible reservoirs of strength and courage. This book tells their stories.
Tali Hadad is a retired kindergarten teacher and founder of a religious day care center. She suffers from high blood pressure and knee pain. She went outside after hearing sirens on October 7 and ran through alleyways until she stumbled onto a large gun battle. Still in pajamas and sneakers, she learned that there were wounded and that ambulances had stopped coming. She went back home to get her car and drove the wounded out of the battle zone, toward medical care. She soon learned that her son, Itamar, was wounded and losing blood. She found him, loaded him and two other badly wounded into her car, and drove them to the care station at the entrance to Ofakim. But she did not stay with him; instead she told her son, “Itamar, I’m not coming with you. Take care of yourself. You’re brave. Mommy will be back later, but now I have to go and pick up more casualties.” And so she did. Over and over, back and forth, speeding like a maniac and dodging bullets, until a military helicopter arrived. Only then did she head home, pack up the rest of her family, and drive them to join her son in the safety of the hospital.
Yaakov Krasniansky had a Chariedi childhood, but during high school he decided to switch to a Religious Zionist school so he could learn secular studies and join the army. After he finished his required army service, he rejoined as a career soldier. On October 7, he led a team of police officers on security duty at Kibbutz Nahal Oz. The night before the attack, he stayed up late talking to his team about the importance of their security mission and duty during what seemed like a quiet time. When terrorists breached the kibbutz’s fence in the morning, the head of security sent a message to Yaakov who took his team straight to the breach. As they arrived on foot, they came under heavy fire. Yaakov ran ahead of his team and straight into the gunfire. Before shooting, he called out in Arabic to ensure he was not attacking a civilian. A member of Yaakov’s team who survived tells how Yaakov eventually was shot, bandaged himself and got back up to fight, and was shot again. He continued fighting after being shot multiple times, losing consciousness and then regaining it and continuing to fight until he could no longer continue.
Each person in these stories is a hero who stood up with courage and fought back to save their lives and the lives of others. Not all of them survived, but their stories live on as triumphs of the spirit.
Mickey is a retired security professional, sufficiently important that his full name is not provided. The terrorists had enough information about him that they specifically targeted his home. With a single pistol, he defended his house against intruders with machine guns. He fired with precision from guarded positions as they entered from multiple points. Eventually the terrorists threw grenades, and Mickey entered the safe room with his wife and daughter, shooting out from the slightly opened door until he closed and locked it. The terrorists used explosives to open the door and Mickey continued to fire into the confusion, closing the hole-filled door and maintaining his position. He spoke with them in Arabic, and then the Hamas commander arrived, quieting everyone and calmly negotiating Mickey’s surrender while aiming an RPG at the safe room. The other terrorists left, and Mickey negotiated in return, extending the conversation in order to find his moment. He managed to distract the commander for a brief second and shot him, saving himself and his family. They waited in the safe room for hours until the army arrived.
Emanuel Sakat, Avi Gian and Avi Yudkowsky are observant Hatzalah volunteers. They heard of an emergency situation and started driving south from Jerusalem. As they approached the region, they were radioed multiple times to stop because it was too dangerous. They decided to disobey orders and take their ambulance farther south than allowed. If they had to desecrate Shabbat by driving, they reasoned, it should be to save lives, not to wait in a secure area. So they became the first ambulance to plunge into the carnage, finding the injured and transporting them back for treatment. They continued for hours. As they continued farther south in the afternoon, into the midst of active combat, more and more wounded were loaded into their sole ambulance for transport. At one point, Hatzalah’s director of operations refused their request to send additional ambulances to Kfar Aza, which was still an active war zone. The driver pulled him aside. “What are we here for? We’re here to save lives. Are you really telling me that because there’s a chance we’ll get hurt, we’re not willing to try and save people’s lives? I’m telling you that all the volunteers here are prepared to risk getting hurt just on the chance that we’ll save them.” That convinced him. They worked into the night, transporting sixty wounded. All lived.
These are only some of the forty stories in this book, which are only a fraction of the stories that occurred, most of which we can never know. Each person in these stories is a hero who stood up with courage and fought back to save their lives and the lives of others. Not all of them survived, but their stories live on as triumphs of the spirit. We cannot and will not forget the stories of the inhuman brutality of October 7 and the terrible ordeal of the hostages. But along with that, we will also remember the stories of courage and heroism. We are a people that lives as proud Jews and, when necessary, dies as proud Jews. We fight with our spirit and with every ounce of energy and creativity that we can muster. One Day in October reminds us that October 7 and its aftermath recall not only the Roman destruction but also the Maccabean revolt.
Gan Shoshanim, Vol. 4
By Rabbi Menachem Genack
OU Press
New York, 2026
260 pages
Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO and rabbinic administrator of OU Kosher, structures the articles in Gan Shoshanim, Vol. 4 with remarkable artistry. There is a clear rhythm to the essays in this sefer, the steady, confident unfolding of his conceptual explanations. Each chapter begins with a textual tension that invites the reader into the topic, and the discussion progresses with an almost musical sense of development. The insights emerge naturally, building one upon another, until the original question resolves itself in a satisfying conceptual framework. This combination of precision and flow reflects Rabbi Genack’s mastery not only of the Brisker method of Talmud study but also of its distinctive literary style.
The Brisker method itself has long been analyzed and employed in the study halls of the yeshivah world. It seeks to identify the underlying structures that organize halachic law, distinguishing between related but fundamentally different legal categories. Rabbi Genack works squarely within this tradition. His essays typically begin with a textual difficulty or contradiction. He then draws on the teachings of the Rav, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, often invoking ideas from seemingly unrelated areas of halachah. These conceptual parallels illuminate the problem at hand, allowing Rabbi Genack to construct an elegant solution. In this way, he demonstrates the classic Brisker content: the search for conceptual clarity that transforms scattered details into an integrated system.
Rabbi Genack also demonstrates mastery of the Brisker style. The Brisker tradition is not only a method of analysis but also a particular form of intellectual presentation. A text is first placed before the reader in its plain form. Then comes the challenge, often a sharp question that exposes an apparent inconsistency or difficulty in the traditional understanding. Finally, the answer arrives, not merely resolving the difficulty but reshaping the reader’s perspective. A successful Brisker resolution does more than answer the question; it reframes the entire issue so thoroughly that the original problem dissolves. The reader finds that the question no longer feels compelling because the conceptual landscape has shifted. Rabbi Genack employs this dramatic intellectual arc with exceptional skill, making complex Talmudic discussions both rigorous and accessible.
As a student of Rabbi Genack, I celebrated the publication of each of the earlier volumes of Gan Shoshanim. Those volumes present a rich collection of essays that showcase Rabbi Genack’s ability to translate the Rav’s teachings and approach into clear and compelling analysis. This new volume continues that achievement. Containing forty-six of his own essays and five by his son, Rabbi Yitzchak Genack, the sefer explores familiar topics surrounding the Jewish holidays, such as classical Chanukah and Sukkot themes, through a Brisker lens. At the same time, the collection reaches far beyond these topics. Rabbi Genack addresses a wide range of Talmudic subjects, including areas traditionally considered among the most challenging in the Talmud, such as a series of insights into the less-frequently studied tractates Zevachim and Avodah Zarah.
Gan Shoshanim, Vol. 4 stands as another powerful presentation of Brisker thought and communication. For readers encountering this approach for the first time, the essays provide an accessible entry into the conceptual richness of the Talmud. For experienced scholars, the volume offers thoughtful guidance through some of the most complex questions that arise in the study of Talmud and halachah. In both respects, Rabbi Genack demonstrates how the Brisker tradition remains a powerful tool for deepening our understanding of the classical sources of Jewish law.
Rabbi Gil Student serves as OU director of Jewish Media, Publications and Editorial Communications.