Dear friends,
On this night in 2004, I commanded a team in Nablus with a mission of catching a wanted Hamas terrorist. It was the sixth night of Chanukah. Honestly, I don’t remember if we even had time to light the menorah but we spent the entire night trying to get the terrorist to leave a building filled with civilians. We were successful in getting all the civilians out safely and we knew the terrorist was somewhere hiding in the building waiting for his chance.
When we got to one of the last apartments I ordered my soldier to open an attic, and the terrorist was right there with his kalitchnakov pointed at me. From that moment everything happened so fast. Bottom line we shot each other. I felt this huge pain in my side, it was a pain I had never felt before, and the next thing I knew I was on the ground. The bullet crossed my hips and lodged in my body near a nerve center. I still carry it today. What I didn’t understand at that moment was that it was a miracle. Just a few millimeters to one side and I would have been in real trouble.
I can’t begin to express how many Blessings have come into my life since that fateful moment. Like many of my fellow BFL members, I am aware that life is a gift and for some reason, I was given a second chance. Tonight I will light the Menorah with my wife and five beautiful children. I have the greatest honor to help start and lead BFL and this has changed my life forever.
I want to wish you each a Happy Chanukah and tell you that I love you. Thank you for making miracles happen for our 1,200 Achim.
Chanukah Sameach,
Yaniv