American-Israeli child shares experience of having father in Gaza conflict, witnessing children being held captive
Israeli Family Struggles at Home with Country Mobilized for War Against Hamas
Nine-year-old Emma Katzor couldn’t believe her eyes when she first laid eyes on the hostage posters featuring Israeli children. She immediately rushed back home to her mother, filled with disbelief and fear.
“I asked my mom, is that even allowed?” Emma recounted to The Daily Wire. “Are they, like, really catching children? She said, yes, and I felt very, very scared.”
Emma’s mother, Elana Katzor, grew up in Massachusetts but moved to Israel to raise her kids. With her husband away serving as a reservist in the Israeli Defense Forces since Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack, Elana found herself alone with her three young children, all while being pregnant.
Dealing with the war has turned Elana’s parenting philosophy upside down as she grapples with what information to share with her children.
“I don’t lie to my children — I am of the belief that information doesn’t scare children, but the lack of information scares children,” Katzor said. “I didn’t mention the kidnappings because they didn’t ask me. And then all of a sudden the posters started showing up.”
Emma can’t help but imagine what it would be like if she were taken hostage herself, and whether the children held by Hamas are being taken care of.
“Do they have diapers, shampoo? Do they have clothes? Do they have supplies? Do they have a house?” she asked. “It’s just very scary.”
Being alone with her three young children has been incredibly challenging for Elana. She believes that the timing of Hamas rocket launches, often occurring at seven, eight, and nine at night, is a form of psychological warfare against children.
“Our freedom of movement has been stressful,” she said. “I don’t drive anymore because I’m scared that I’m with three kids, I’m pregnant, there’s a siren, I have to pull over to the side of the road. I have to manage to get three kids out of the car on a highway.”
“It also tends to happen in the evenings right before bedtime,” Elana said. “Bedtime is more scary and it’s their way of terrorizing us.”
Emma said she was scared when she saw the posters of child hostages and had to ask her mom if they were real. (Photo by Kassy Dillon)
Katzor has had to plan her daily routine around the possibility of a rocket attack, even showering late at night when rockets are less likely to occur.
Despite her fear, Emma tries to stay calm for her little sister in the face of the rocket attacks.
“I say that it’s okay and that we’re winning and that we have a strong army and that we have a mother here,” she said. “That’s to make her feel like everything is okay.”
Although Elana’s husband has been able to come home for short visits and make frequent video calls, Emma admits that she struggles without her father around. At school, she writes letters with pictures for the soldiers.
“Dear soldiers, I hope you come back with peace and I hope there is not going to be hurt people, like people who broke their arm or their leg,” Emma said she wrote in one letter. “I just hope that you have a good Shabbat.”
How does Elana Katzor navigate the challenge of being honest with her children about the war while also protecting their innocence?
As the war between Israel and Hamas rages on, families across the country are grappling with the realities of living in a mobilized nation. For the Katzor family, this struggle hits particularly close to home.
Nine-year-old Emma Katzor was shocked and terrified when she first saw the hostage posters featuring Israeli children. She immediately sought solace in her mother, Elana Katzor, desperate for reassurance. Emma asked her mother if it was even allowed for children to be caught in such a manner, to which Elana had to confirm the harsh reality. Emma recounted to The Daily Wire, “I asked my mom, is that even allowed? Are they, like, really catching children? She said, yes, and I felt very, very scared.”
Elana Katzor, originally from Massachusetts, made the decision to move to Israel in order to raise her children in the country of their heritage. However, the recent brutal attack by Hamas on October 7 forced her husband to serve as a reservist in the Israeli Defense Forces, leaving Elana alone to care for their three young children while also being pregnant.
Dealing with the war has completely turned Elana’s parenting philosophy upside down as she grapples with what information to share with her children. Elana firmly believes in being honest with her children, as she believes that it is the lack of information that truly scares them. However, when it comes to the kidnappings, Elana has chosen not to mention them unless her children specifically ask about it. She explains, “I didn’t mention the kidnappings because they didn’t ask me. And then all of a sudden the posters started showing up.”
Emma, on the other hand, cannot help but imagine what it would be like if she were taken hostage herself. She wonders about the well-being of the children held by Hamas, questioning if they have proper care, diapers, shampoo, clothing, and supplies. Emma’s concerns are grounded in the fear and uncertainty that come with living in the midst of a warzone. She says, “Do they have diapers, shampoo? Do they have clothes? Do they have supplies? Do they have a house? It’s just very scary.”
The Katzor family is just one example of the countless Israeli families struggling to navigate through the difficulties of living in a country mobilized for war against Hamas. Parents like Elana are faced with the heavy responsibility of protecting and supporting their children while also grappling with the harsh realities of violence and instability. As the conflict continues, it remains imperative for the international community to acknowledge and understand the immense toll it takes on innocent families. By shedding light on these struggles, we can work towards fostering empathy and finding lasting solutions to bring peace to the region.
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