Open Doors and Healing: How One Family Turned Their Home Into a Sanctuary
Since October 7, the Avni family home in moshav Tkuma has remained a welcoming haven for IDF soldiers and festival survivors, blending profound hospitality with ongoing wartime resilience.
In the moshav of Tkuma, the Avni family's door has always been open. Long before the war and long before the holiday of Sukkot, their home was a gathering place for family, friends, and guests. But after October 7, 2023, that hospitality took on a profoundly different meaning.
When the Hamas terror onslaught began, Reut's husband, an IDF intelligence officer, prepared to deploy. Simultaneously, survivors fleeing the Nova music festival massacre arrived at their doorstep seeking refuge. Reut, her husband, and their four children sheltered them, offering safety and assistance in contacting anxious families amid the chaos.
A Home for IDF Soldiers
By October 8, Reut and the children evacuated north, joining other displaced residents from the Gaza envelope, while her husband entered reserve duty. Yet, their home in Tkuma remained active. Their eldest daughter stayed behind to assist soldiers operating in the area. Soon, soldiers began arriving regularly for coffee, hot showers, and a place to sleep.
Reut recalls telling the combat troops immediately: "The house is open, come in and make yourselves at home." At first, soldiers hesitated, occasionally sleeping on the floor rather than disturbing the family's beds. Eventually, the Avni residence functioned like a supportive commune, seamlessly blending family life with military rest and recuperation.
Continued Support and Rehabilitation
Even after returning home fully, Reut and her husband chose to keep their doors open for soldiers needing a break from the front lines. The house continues to provide sanctuary, fostering a unique bond between the family and the defenders.
Meanwhile, Reut enlisted for reserve service in the Jerusalem 16th Brigade, while her husband focuses on rehabilitation following leg injuries and post-traumatic stress from the ongoing war. He now uses his personal journey to mentor other combat veterans, envisioning a heated therapeutic pool in their yard to further assist recovering soldiers.
"As long as there is a need, we are here," Reut says, emphasizing that opening their home is simply a continuation of their lifelong values.
