Rising From the Ashes, the Light from Kibbutz Be'eri Leads its Residents Home
I fell in love with Israel because I fell in love with its people.
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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
- Sep 28
- 3 min
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?...
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Melanie Preston
- Sep 23
- 6 min
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
- 7 min
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...
243 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
- Sep 3
- 11 min
Hersh - Carmel - Alex - Almog - Eden - Ori
The cursor has been blinking below these six names and faces. I haven't known where to begin because there are so many emotions swirling,...
648 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
- Aug 2
- 3 min
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....
262 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
- Jun 7
- 15 min
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...
857 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
- May 7
- 6 min
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...
107 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
- Apr 25
- 8 min
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.
750 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
- Apr 7
- 4 min
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...
644 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
- Feb 14
- 6 min
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...
417 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
- Jan 30
- 13 min
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...
903 views1 comment
Melanie Preston
- Jan 16
- 11 min
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...
691 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
- Jan 4
- 7 min
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...
70 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
- Dec 28, 2023
- 6 min
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...
99 views1 comment
Melanie Preston
- Dec 13, 2023
- 10 min
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...
42 views0 comments
Melanie Preston
- Dec 9, 2023
- 9 min
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...
108 views1 comment
Melanie Preston
- Dec 8, 2023
- 3 min
An Unplanned Tale as Day One of Hanukkah Lands on Two Months Since October 7th
It was a grey day in Tel Aviv as I wandered around looking for candles to light for Hanukkah. I left my menorah under the sink in...
114 views2 comments
Melanie Preston
- Dec 6, 2023
- 9 min
Details on Gaza's Hostages Emerge; Why I Came to Israel During a War; My Mission
On October 7th, I woke up in Charlotte, North Carolina and went to the Piedmont Farmer’s Market, which has become my weekly tradition on...
264 views3 comments
Melanie Preston
- Dec 3, 2023
- 4 min
Tonight's Incoming Rocket Siren Freaked Me Out
When I made the decision to come to Israel during a war, I knew I would be hearing sirens. It's part and parcel for living here, but...
65 views1 comment
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