Grief, pain, worry, and the feeling of no longer being safe in their own country – for many Israelis, this is currently an overwhelming and oppressive feeling. Dana Nowak, Head of Communications at CSI, describes in this interview what it means to stand by Israel as a Christian, especially now. She spent several weeks in Israel in January. The questions were asked by Anja Weippert.
Anja Weippert: On January 3rd of this year, you boarded a plane and flew to Israel for three weeks. Why?
Dana Nowak: In the weeks following the brutal Hamas attack on October 7th, I repeatedly felt the urge to be in Israel. To help, to comfort, to show people they weren't alone. But I didn't bring it up at CSI because we were simply extremely busy due to the war. Then one day, our chairman, Luca Hezel, called me and said, "Dana, I know you're incredibly busy right now, but could you imagine going to Israel for a while and working from there?" That settled it. CSI has had staff on the ground since the massacre, right up to the present day. We don't just want to be there for Israel in good times, but also in difficult ones.
Didn't you have any concerns about traveling to a country that is currently embroiled in a war?
Of course, I thought about it and was aware of the danger. The risk of terrorist attacks is, after all, a daily and ever-present threat. The situation on the northern border could have escalated. But I wasn't afraid. When the so-called Second Intifada broke out in 2000, and Palestinian terrorists carried out countless suicide attacks, I was living in Israel for a year. So the situation wasn't entirely unfamiliar to me. The people in Israel also have to cope with it, and ultimately, you learn to live with it.
What was it like on the ground – what did you experience of the war?
I lived in Jerusalem, but I was also frequently deployed to the south, near the Gaza border, or to the north for day trips. Jerusalem was quite peaceful; there were no rocket alerts. In southern Israel, I had been instructed on how to react in case of rocket alerts. Here, of course, you could hear the explosions from the Gaza Strip. I had the rocket warning app installed on my phone. There were multiple alerts daily due to rocket attacks from Lebanon or the Gaza Strip, or because of infiltration by terrorists.
How did the Israelis you met receive your presence?
The people were incredibly grateful and moved. Strangers hugged me with tears in their eyes when I told them I was there to support Israel. I have to say, it overwhelmed me. It was only once I was there that I truly understood how much it meant to the Israelis to have someone standing by their side during this time of war. It gave them hope; it lit a small light in the darkness. A shopkeeper in a small supermarket told me he never wanted to come to Germany because of its history. But after October 7th, Germany showed that it truly stood behind Israel. And now he was meeting Germans who had come specifically to support Israel. Now he wanted to get to know the country better.
How did you experience the mood in the country?
I have truly never experienced Israel so deeply wounded. Pain, despair, and worry were omnipresent. Everyone you meet has a son, a daughter, a grandson, or a niece who is currently fighting in the Gaza Strip. I have been coming to Israel for more than 20 years and have always experienced the country as very strong and confident. This time was different. Again and again, I heard questions like these: “Why do they hate us so much? We are used to fighting, man against man. But this hatred from October 7th is unbearable. It is no longer enough to simply kill us—they have to dismember us beyond recognition, even burn our children, destroy our identity.”
Many people who previously believed in coexistence have lost their hope for peace. A mother in a souvenir shop told me about her fear. Her son is 19 and now has to go to war, a war Israel never wanted. I have a son that age myself and understand her worries all too well. Then she showed me the pistol under her sweater. "I never wanted to carry a weapon, but I'm just afraid a terrorist could appear at any moment to kill my children or me."
International politics is currently discussing the situation in Gaza, as well as ways out of the conflict and possibilities for its pacification – are these questions that are also on the minds of Israelis right now?
The primary concern for Israelis is the fate of the hostages and what the state can do to ensure that Jews can once again live safely in their own country. Completely disabling Hamas's infrastructure, thereby rendering the radical Islamist organization incapable of action, is the top priority. At the same time, many Israelis are preoccupied with the question of when the situation in the north will escalate. It's no longer a question of if, but when. This concern seems to me to be the greatest for many in the country. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon is in a different league in terms of combat power than Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
How did it affect you to meet people who are directly affected by Hamas terror?
Those were truly the most difficult encounters. Some of them left me speechless. Among others, I met Simona Steinbrecher. Her daughter Doron is being held hostage in the Gaza Strip. What do you say to a mother whose daughter—a beautiful young woman—is in the hands of brutal murderers and rapists for whom Jewish life means nothing? How can I give hope to Dudi, whose daughter survived the Nova Festival among the bodies of her friends, but is dead inside? There were so many such encounters, so much pain. It saddened me deeply, and I was grateful for colleagues, family, and friends with whom I could talk in the evenings after such meetings, to recharge my batteries.
Were there any experiences that gave you hope, that you particularly like to think back on?
Yes, there were quite a few. Joy and sorrow were very closely intertwined during those three weeks. My colleague Delly and I were invited to a Shabbat meal with a modern Orthodox family. The meeting came about through a friend who had left the ultra-Orthodox community. Delly and I were overwhelmed by their hospitality – the family didn't know us at all and welcomed us so warmly. Besides us, friends of the family and the hostess's brother were also invited. He and his family live strictly ultra-Orthodox lives.
These Jews generally avoid contact with people outside their community. His wife was so excited to meet us, Christians, and Germans at that. She had heard that there were Christians somewhere who supported Israel, but to actually meet such people in person was something special for her. In the end, she invited us to her home for Shabbat on our next visit to Israel. This encounter and the invitation touched me deeply because it's so rare to have such a conversation with ultra-Orthodox Jews. To be able to set such a positive example here, as a Christian with our church history and as a German with our past, was very moving.
You've been back in Germany for a few weeks now. What's your conclusion about these three weeks? How are you feeling about everything you experienced?
It wasn't easy to truly settle back in here in Germany, and I often think about the people I know in Israel, their worries and hardships. Many everyday problems here in Germany seem so trivial in comparison. In any case, I felt privileged to be able to stand practically by Israel's side during this difficult time. Rarely have I experienced so clearly the possibility of being a light simply by being a Christian. Israel needs people who stand by it now, who also lend a hand practically in the country, wherever there is a shortage of workers.
Thank you so much for the conversation!
This article first appeared in our newspaper "Israelaktuell," issue 136. You can order the newspaper here . We would also be happy to send you several copies for distribution.
