This Wednesday, we had the opportunity to visit the city of Atlit, where we listened to a remarkable Druze woman speak about her path to becoming the first owner of a kosher Druze restaurant. Her journey is one of strength, resilience, and determination. Her story began when she married the love of her life and soon after had a son. Tragically, shortly after her son was born, her husband was involved in a severe accident. He remained in an unstable condition for 13 years before sadly passing away. This meant that her son never had the chance to know his father. 

Despite becoming a widow, she decided she wanted to honor her husband for the impact he had made in the army. She contacted the army’s leadership and asked them to prepare meals for the soldiers. The leadership approved, and she prepared just over a thousand Druze meals. However, after delivering the first batch of food, she noticed that some soldiers were not eating. She asked the leadership why some weren't, and they told her the food wasn’t kosher, so some of them couldn’t eat. As a Druze woman, she wasn’t familiar with kosher practices, so she took it upon herself to learn how to make a kitchen kosher and cook kosher meals. Some people found out about this Druze woman and wanted to help her cook meals for the army. As a result, she and a few others were able to deliver over four thousand kosher Druze meals to the soldiers. 

This story truly touched my heart. A woman who had endured unimaginable heartbreak and devastation turned this painful chapter of her life into something truly remarkable. She did this not only for herself but also for the entire Israel Defense Forces (IDF) community, leaving a lasting impact. 

Overall, this past week has been slow but meaningful. I feel so honored that I was able to listen to such an incredible story, and I truly am inspired. I am looking forward to hearing more personal stories throughout the rest of my time at Muss. 

Lilly is a high school sophomore from the University School of Nashville, Tennessee.