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THE ATTACK ON ISRAEL
October 7th, 2023
BROKE ME
The SILENCE of my “Friends”
Devastated Me
The World’s Protests and Celebrations
Horrified Me
And So I Came Back
To Tell the Stories of Who They Were
and Who We Are
Melanie Preston
Feb 1411 min read
Shock and Horror Linger as an Uneasy yet Resilient Nation Braces for Future Releases
"So much for 'Never Again,'" said Lena Kosinovsky in a text to me last Saturday, as we shared the thoughts so many of us did about how...
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Melanie Preston
Feb 55 min read
What Does That Press Conference Mean for Our HOSTAGES and this Weekend's RELEASES?!
I imagined IRAN listening to this, and my blood went cold. My heart stopped beating.
423 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
Dec 7, 20243 min read
A Memory of Infinite Blessings, May Itay Svirsky Rest in Peace
What must it be like to be laid to rest after all you've been through?
The 98 days alive in Gaza - and the 326 days not?
165 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
Sep 27, 20243 min read
SPOILER ALERT - We Got Nasrallah
I think we did at least. It depends on which channel you turn on here in Israel. On one, it said "Nasrallah chu-sal." Ma ze chu-sal?...
55 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
Sep 22, 20246 min read
As War Reaches a New Phase, Israel's Heart Shines Brighter, with October 7th Survivors in the South Offering their Homes to the North's Residents
"Thank goodness I am here," has been my predominant thought since returning to Israel last Monday. This is despite losing my Israeli...
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Melanie Preston
Sep 21, 20247 min read
As Kibbutz Be'eri Residents Shift from a Hotel to Kibbutz Hazerim, I Departed America to Join Them in Israel as the War Only Gets Worse
I made it back to Israel, despite the constant warnings on my phone of escalations with Hezbollah, and now a declaration of a Third...
323 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
Aug 2, 20243 min read
A Letter to Israel on Day 300 and Counting
Dear Israel, I know how lonely it can feel to be you, all tiny and blue and shimmering and sparkling on your sliver of land on the sea....
265 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
Jun 7, 202415 min read
In Her Own Words: Mother of Piano Player Alon Ohel Describes Her Reality as a 'Hostage Mom' and Calls on World Jewry to Keep Israel What it Was Meant to Be and Must Continue to Be
This is the story of Alon Ohel, based on my interview with his mother in Israel in February. I heard Alon's piano playing on the news...
1,478 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
May 7, 20246 min read
Hamas Bamboozles the West Through its "Ruse" of Accepting a Ceasefire on Holocaust Remembrance Day
For Israelis and those of us paying attention, today's move by Hamas was predictable. On the day Israel dropped its flyers in Arabic into...
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Melanie Preston
Apr 25, 20248 min read
Be'eri Seder in Hostage Square, Hersh Hostage Video Release and the Twisting Tunnels of my Mind on this Passover Like no Other
We are bound in our love for each other and our rich past, entwined in our current struggles and standing as one in a vow for our future.
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Melanie Preston
Apr 7, 20244 min read
As Their Posters Fade, Our Resolve Does Not
Six months ago yesterday, 133 people woke up on a fairly normal Thursday. Some were up with the sun practicing yoga, while others made...
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Melanie Preston
Feb 14, 20246 min read
Shani Louk: A Legacy of Compassion, Love and Art
On February 7th, Shani Louk would have celebrated her 23rd birthday. Instead, her family and friends gathered at a reception for the...
483 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
Jan 30, 202414 min read
Inside Israel's Hostage Crisis: Michael Levy’s Heroic Battle to Rescue his Brother from Hamas Captivity
“I have one mission in life. To bring my brother back for his two-year old son," Michael said. "That's my goal." It was 6:45pm on January...
1,410 views1 comment
Melanie Preston
Jan 16, 202412 min read
How my Heart has Been Breaking Through this Project of Mine, into 136 Families' Worlds
It had seemed like such a good idea, after 37 days of tears by myself in Charlotte. The families of the hostages had been on every...
859 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
Jan 3, 20247 min read
Fearful of Large Hezbollah Attack; Ha Tikva in Hostage Square; Ringing in 2024 With Rockets Over my Head
On Saturday night I walked from Jaffa in South Tel Aviv to Hostage Square, which took about an hour. I needed to meet the brother of one...
71 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
Dec 28, 20236 min read
Letter from a Fallen Soldier to his Parents; Murder of American-Israeli Hostage Judy Weinstein Confirmed
"Dear Mom and Dad, I love you very much. I chose this path myself. I've lived a good and interesting life. Nevertheless, I have never...
101 views1 comment
Melanie Preston
Dec 13, 202310 min read
Day 68 of a War that is Now Clearly on Multiple Fronts
Something unknown by many abroad but well-known in Israel is that as horrific as the October 7th terror attack on Israel was, with 1400...
43 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
Dec 9, 20239 min read
Incoming Rocket Sirens Blare on Highway; Forced to Exit Vehicle and Duck; Taking on Hamas
It's important to keep a routine as best as possible in Israel, despite the prevalence and randomness of sirens going off, and it was...
109 views1 comment
Melanie Preston
Dec 1, 20235 min read
Children Released from Hamas Speak in Whispers; Terror Attack in Jerusalem
The past week has been surreal, with human beings stolen from their homes or a party to rot in dark tunnels for seven endless weeks -...
126 views1 comment
Melanie Preston
Nov 26, 20233 min read
A Day of Suspense Ends in Joy as the Clock Strikes 12
Delay in Hostage Release Causes Stress but Cannot Puncture Spirit Last night we in Israel heard the first sigh of relief in 49 days with...
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