Rebuilding Hope: How Be'eri Print Reopened Days After October 7
Be'eri Print CEO Ben Sochman recounts reopening the kibbutz's printing press days after the October 7 massacre, sparking hope and resilience as the community prepares to return home.
Ben Sochman, CEO of Be'eri Print, led the reopening of the printing press just days after the October 7 massacre, aiming to breathe life and hope into a community deeply scarred by the assault. Speaking at the Globes Kibbutz Growth Conference, held in partnership with Israel Discount Bank and the Kibbutz Movement, he recounted the decision that symbolized the beginning of recovery and rehabilitation for the community.
Founded 75 years ago, the print shop serves as an economic anchor for the kibbutz, producing credit cards, driver's licenses, and various printed goods. During the attack, while sheltering in his safe room, Sochman's mind focused on ensuring production would not stop. He soon realized that the management team had an opportunity to divert the children's focus and offer a sense of future to a community at its lowest point.
To spearhead the reopening, Sochman appointed a junior financial manager to step up as the new CFO after his predecessor was murdered. Announcing the reopening to displaced residents staying at a Dead Sea hotel provided a vital spark of hope, signaling that the community might one day return to rebuild.
Reflecting on the heavy toll, Sochman noted that Be'eri suffered devastating losses during the Black Saturday assault, with 101 members murdered and 32 kidnapped. Sochman lost his mother, his CFO Shachar Tzemach, and other colleagues and friends. Despite these profound tragedies, the community has spent the past two years transitioning from the Dead Sea to temporary housing in Kibbutz Hatzerim, with plans to return to Be'eri in the coming months.
