By Daniella Weiss, Staff Writer
I had the privilege of interviewing Hadas Lowenstern, the wife of Elisha Lowenstern, Hy”d, who was killed in Gaza on December 13, 2023 by an anti-tank missile fired by Hamas. Her husband was a testament to the courage and determination of Am Yisrael, and volunteered to fight even though he was exempt because he had six children. The full interview can be found here.
As I sat down with Hadas, she explained that although she believes many people see her as a source of strength for others, she views herself as simply a representative of Hashem, and that the strength she finds comes entirely from Him. She explained that she cannot carry the suffering she has gone through on her own, and hopes that all of Am Yisrael will hold on to her suffering with her. Hadas told me she had no idea that the video of her that went viral online, where she talks about her husband and gives Am Yisrael words of strength, would reach so many people and have such an impact on others.
Hadas described how she works very hard on her emunah (faith) and bitachon (trust), noting how she listens to shiurim on emunah often. She then compared the effort that must be put into improving one’s faith in Hashem to sports: just as one needs to practice and work out in order to improve in a sport, so too they must put in time and effort to develop a deeper connection with Hashem.
In the past, Hadas tried to look at the bright side of everything, avoiding recognizing the negative aspects of life. Now, Hadas relates, she sees that the good and bad both exist in every situation that we find ourselves in, and it is up to us how we view every aspect of our lives. For example, instead of focusing on the mess your children make in the house, thank Hashem for the gift of having kids. Oftentimes, it is easier to dwell on the bad rather than the good, but you are a Jew, and therefore you cannot take the easy route, explained Hadas. It is not easy to be tznua (modest) and keep Shabbat, but it is what we must do as people who seek out and value truth. We will always face challenges in our lives, but it is our responsibility to view those challenges as opportunities for growth, a chance to thank Hashem even in the face of hardships.
After being asked what she would say to someone who questions where Hashem is in the world at this time, Hadas responded with an analogy if there is a child who is given food and toys and once, when he asks for candy, does not get it, he says to his father, “you never give me anything.” That is ungrateful. We have so much good in the world. We just have to recognize it. Hadas acknowledged that, even though Elisha is gone, she still tries to see the balance in what Hashem has given her. She always ends up saying thank you to Hashem, and believes that every Jew must stop focusing on what they don’t have and start saying “thank you” for what they do have.
Hadas added what we in the USA can do to help end this war. She shared that if one individual decides to smile at someone, even such a seemingly small action can affect the entire klal (community). The Jewish people are one people. Many of us in the US cannot go and fight in Gaza. Every Jew has to fight their own war and they all know what it is they can do to make the world a better place. Hadas emphasized that when antisemites want to kill Jews, we should be ten times more of a Jew. This way we can keep the memory of the soldiers alive. “If I would give up, [then] they [would have] killed two – Elisha and I.”
In addition, after asking about Elisha and what lessons we could take from him, Hadas explained that Elisha would call each of his siblings, parents, and in-laws every Friday. It was not a short Good Shabbos and bye, rather, he gave so much thought into every conversation that he had with his family.
I was so impressed with Hadas’s emunah. At the end of our conversation, I asked her how each of us could build our own emunah. She explained that if someone needs to lose weight, you do not tell them not to eat any sugar at all, but rather, you tell them to drink one less sugary beverage and take the stairs twice a week. Similarly, we should start with little moments of emunah and build on them slowly. If an egg falls out of the fridge, stop and realize that it is not a big deal. Choose something very small and use that to strengthen your emunah. Every day, write down two things that you are grateful for.
Hadas concluded our conversation by highlighting how she only became religious fifteen years ago. She emphasized that one must not take big jumps when attempting to grow their faith. Rather, one should stay true to themselves and start with something very small. Once a day, give someone a compliment, say thank you to Ima (mom). Over time, through these small endeavors, you will begin to see your connection to Hashem grow in inspiring ways, in ways you could not even have imagined. In Hadas’s eyes, Am Yisrael is holding up pretty well despite these difficult times, coming together as a community and supporting each other. We only need to do a little more to bring Moshiach.
Donations can be made to Hadas and her family here.