7.10 Israel Ohana
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KEYNOTE · OCTOBER 7 · A PERSONAL STORY

October 7, 6:29 AM. This is where everything changed.
And where we chose to go on.

Israel Ohana, a resident of Sderot, tells his personal story: from the road between Sderot and Be’eri on October 7, through evacuation and recovery, to the choice to rebuild. A talk about survival, choice, growth, and the power of sport and community.

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Israel Ohana inside the car on October 7, shattered glass on the seatOctober 7

Presented over the last 3 years to:

  • National Insurance Institute
  • Edut 710
  • Salon Otef
  • Financial companies
  • Sderot Municipality
  • Community Centers Company
  • Tech companies
  • Government offices
  • Company conferences
Israel Ohana with his wife and three children in their home in Sderot
ABOUT

Israel Ohana

A resident of Sderot, husband and father of three, UX design team lead, and cyclist.

On the morning of October 7 we set out for a ride, and found ourselves in the middle of the events on the road. Since then I tell the story: not only what happened, but what we chose to do next. I made the way back with my family, my community, and my bike.

Today I bring this story to organizations, schools and communities, to remind us that even after a great break, we can go on, rebuild and grow.

Let’s talk
TEASER

A few seconds from inside the car

Real footage from October 7, 7:01 AM: I film my friend Dudu as we escape the gunfire. After this clip, the talk goes back to the beginning, to October 6, to understand how we got there.

This video is difficult to watch. Click to play; it does not autoplay.

THE STORY

Three parts. One journey.

The talk is built as a journey: who I was just before, what happened that morning, and what we chose to do next.

A tent at sunset while camping in the north, days before October 7
BEFORE

Riding, family, routine

Sukkot holiday, camping in the north, football with my son, and the Friday ride on the “home trail.” An ordinary life, one day before everything changed.

The van after the gunfire on October 7
THAT MORNING

From 5:25 to Bror Hayil

A “good morning” in the riders’ group chat, leaving Sderot, rocket barrages, one decision at a gas station, and a few minutes in which we survived against the odds.

Israel riding in Eilat with the Bartali association
AFTER

Evacuation, recovery, return

Ten days in Eilat, the news that our home was hit, the ride that brought me back to the road, and the choice to return to Sderot and build our next home there.

  1. “Good morning” in the riders’ WhatsApp group. Just another morning before a ride.

  2. We leave Sderot toward Kibbutz Be’eri. The first barrages begin just as we pass the Black Arrow monument.

  3. After long minutes at the gas station shelter, we decide to head back toward Sderot.

  4. Gunfire at the car at the Mefalsim junction. The seconds etched in memory.

  5. We enter Sderot and meet in the square what we thought we had left behind.

  6. We stop at the Ivim junction to take in what we have just been through.

  7. We reach Bror Hayil and stay there about 12 hours.

  8. Ten days later, in Eilat, word arrives that our home in Sderot took a direct hit.

“In life, as in sport, there are moments of falling. But we can always find the way back, grow stronger and return to the track.” Israel Ohana
THE TALK

What you get

A true personal story, a presentation with real footage and photos, and messages you can take back to work and life.

Length

60 minutes including Q&A. Adaptable to your event.

Format

In person with a full presentation. Zoom is available.

Language

Hebrew. English by arrangement, including for Jewish communities abroad.

Audiences

Organizations and companies, tech and finance, government, municipalities, schools and conferences.

  • Choice: what is in our hands when so much is not
  • Growth: building something new from what remains
  • Sport and community as a lifeline and a way back
  • Service, humanity and routine in times of crisis
INITIATIVES

Part of something bigger

My story is heard within initiatives that have become a symbol of how Israeli society listens and documents.

Salon Otef

A social initiative of gatherings in living rooms around the country, centered on October 7 stories: listening to testimony, talking, sharing, and growing together, as individuals and as a society.

Visit Salon Otef →

Edut 710

A volunteer initiative to document and preserve the testimonies of October 7 survivors: more than 1,200 filmed testimonies, collected by documentary filmmakers, historians and mental-health professionals, with a copy of the archive deposited in the National Library of Israel.

Visit Edut 710 →
IN THE MEDIA

Seen and heard in the media

Interviews, reports and testimonies in which I told my story.

EDUT 710 · YOUTUBE

“We continued straight toward the inferno”

An excerpt from my testimony with David Bohadana, a childhood friend from Sderot, in the Edut 710 archive. This is part of the full interview. (Hebrew)

Full testimony on Edut 710
Channel 13 · Morning Show

Studio interview, 2026 (Hebrew)

News 12

Interview with Youlan Cohen, October 2023 (Hebrew)

Yad Vashem

Testimony filming for the national testimony-collection project, March 2024

INVITATIONS & FEEDBACK

Who has invited the talk

A real-estate investors’ evening in Sderot
A financial company invited me to an evening for real-estate investors in Sderot, to connect them with the city.

Shiral A. · Financial company

Managers’ conference, Digital Division
A talk at the managers’ conference of the Digital Division at the National Insurance Institute. The managers loved the content.

Feedback shared in person

Ilanit R. · Division manager, National Insurance Institute

A Salon Otef in a private home, in the Shfela
Dganit hosted a Salon Otef at her home with about 40 participants. The story moved them deeply.

Feedback shared in person

Dganit B. · Salon Otef host
FAQ

Before you book

How long is the talk?

60 minutes including Q&A. The length can be adapted to your event.

Can it be given over Zoom?

Yes. The talk is delivered in person with a presentation, and can also be delivered over Zoom.

Which audiences is it suited for?

Organizations and companies, tech and finance, government offices, municipalities, schools and conferences. Content and depth are adapted to the audience.

Is it available in English?

Yes, by arrangement, including for Jewish communities abroad. The talk is primarily delivered in Hebrew.

Is the content difficult?

The talk describes a hard event, but the focus is on choice, growth and the way back. We can discuss adapting it to your audience in advance, especially for younger audiences.

How do I book?

Fill in the form below and I will get back to you with a proposal and scheduling.

BOOK A TALK

Let’s bring the story to your stage

Tell me about your event and audience, and I will get back to you soon with a proposal and scheduling.

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