In the wake of Hamas’s violent devastation of October 7, citizens of more than 35 countries were murdered, taken hostage, or are missing. It’s unknown how many are dual Israeli citizens and how many are foreign workers, but foreign workers are definitely among the slain and among those in captivity.
Thailand was especially hard hit. Before the war, there were approximately 30,000 Thai agricultural workers in Israel. The Thai Foreign Ministry reports that 22 of its citizens were taken hostage, 32 were killed, and 19 were wounded.
Here are some of the war stories of Israel’s dedicated foreign workers.
Saved by NIS 1,500
The quick thinking of one Filipina caretaker saved her and her 95-year-old employer, JNS journalist Etgar Lefkovits reported. Camille Jesalva is a Filipina who has been caring for Nitza Hefetz in Kibbutz Nirim near the Gaza Strip for more than four years.
The morning of October 7, Jesalva’s sleep was disturbed by a premonition. Once the sirens began, the two women took shelter in the safe room and remained there for hours. After the electricity went out and Jesalva heard gunshots, she left the safe room momentarily to assess and quickly realized that their home had been infiltrated by Arab terrorists.
Eventually, one of the terrorists opened the door to the safe room and found Jesalva and Hefetz. He demanded to know where there was money in the house.
Jesalva, who had been saving for a trip home, handed him all her money – NIS 1,500 in cash. Though he demanded more money, his aggressive search of the house proved unsuccessful.
Lefkovits reported that “After searching the overturned house, [Jesalva] walked him to the door. ‘Thank you, sir. I am closing the door now,’ she told him. He nodded at her and walked out.”
The sum of NIS 1,500 saved both their lives.
Lefkovits quoted Hefetz’s daughter Anat Ben Moreh: “We knew from the start that we were blessed with a wonderful and committed caretaker. Now we know that in addition to all her other attributes, she is very courageous and quick-witted.”
Jesalva herself said, “It’s all God’s will. God gave me the strength.”
Thank you, Israel!
Ronel Gacita has been working as a caregiver in Israel for eight years. He is currently caring for Avrum Weiss of Efrat.
“My home is the small, beautiful Island of Guimaras, Philippines,” Gacita told the Magazine. He hasn’t seen his son, his two brothers or his father since October 2022.
Gacita was originally encouraged to come to Israel by a family member. “My cousin helped me come to Israel to become a caregiver. I was taught that Israel is a holy, religious country with a lot of religious sites to visit. The people are beautiful and nice.”
Over the course of eight years, Gacita has seen plenty of violence. “Since I arrived in Israel, I have seen and heard the news of stabbings, shootings, killing, the firing of rockets from the Palestinian terrorists. Today’s conflict, however, is worse than ever. It is horrible evil – shooting people in the street, murdering kids, babies, the elderly, kidnapping innocent people.
“It is so devastating and scary, but God will protect us and Israel. My family is worried about the situation, but I told them not to worry because we are in a safe place and God will help us.” Gacita, who is Catholic, said, “It’s helpful to pray, have faith, and to believe in God.”
Gacita and his wife had planned to return permanently to the Philippines before the war began, but their plans have been delayed. “We want to go back to the Philippines because my son is growing up, and I want to be with him,” he revealed.
“I want to say…Thank you, Israel! Thank you Jewish people! Long live Israel! Shalom!” he concluded enthusiastically.
‘We Filipinos have a solidarity with Israel’
Cecilia Pidlaoan is a Filipina caregiver for Jerusalem resident Joan Davis and has been in Israel since 2017.
Her quotes were lightly edited for grammar, since English is not her first language. Pidlaoan peppers her speech with Hebrew expressions such as shalom, boker tov (good morning) and baruch Hashem (blessed be God). She refers to her employer as Savta (grandmother).
Born in a small village in the northern region of the Philippines, Pidlaoan describes her family as “quiet and simple. We are ordinary, small citizens in the Philippines, and we do not have a large family. I am the third of four children, and I am also a single parent.”
Speaking about the devotion of Filipino caregivers, Pidlaoan said, “We are so proud. All Filipinos are dedicated to their work. We Filipinos take care of our employers as our immediate family. I want [everyone] to know that we Filipinos are like your family.”
Since arriving in Israel, she returned to the Philippines only once due to COVID-era travel restrictions. “This was a hard time for caregivers and foreign workers here in Israel. It was so challenging to not have a vacation back home to see our families and my son.
“In this situation right now, we feel a little bit scared, but we still stay put wherever we are right now because this is our job, to stay with our ba’al habayit (boss). Even if our lives are in danger, we try to protect our ba’al habayit. It’s our vow as caregivers.”
Reflecting on how she came to work in Israel, Pidlaoan said, “Thank God, [it was] a dream come true that allowed me to come and work in Israel. Now, baruch Hashem, I’m so blessed and thankful to work with one of the respected families, the Davis clan, and work with my Savta, Joan Davis.
“To be a caregiver here in Israel, we undergo a lot of training and seminars. As for me, I worked as an office girl in the Philippines. I didn’t imagine [becoming] a caregiver in Israel.”
Her plan changed after she spoke to a friend. “One of my Filipino friends told me how good people are in Israel, and they treat people very well. They treat people [in a] civilized [way]. So that’s why I [decided] to come to Israel as a worker.
“Filipinos know that Israel is one of the best countries in the Middle East. I was so afraid to go to work abroad, but [I came] because I know that Israel treats people with love and kindness, and they show care. Even though we have a lot of differences, Israeli people, Jewish people, respect the belief of everyone, whatever culture or belief we have.
“The tradition and belief of Filipino and Jewish people are almost the same. As you know, we Christians started our belief here in Israel. And I want to tell you that we also pray to God directly without images, [like] how you pray to Hashem.”
Pidlaoan tearfully recounted the events of October 7. “[It was] about 8:15 in the morning when I started to hear the sounds of sirens outside. I thought to myself that I’m only dreaming. Maybe they are the sounds of Simchat Torah.
“I tried to open my eyes because I was still in bed at that time. It was Shabbat. Shabbat is very special for me and also for the Jewish people because Shabbat is the time God gave us to rest ourselves, to relax ourselves after a whole week of work.
“I started to stand up, and somebody knocked on my door. I thought I was only dreaming. I felt so scared. And then somebody said, ‘Come! Get out! You need to get out because the sirens are about the rockets.’ I said to myself, ‘Oh my gosh. I don’t know what to do! I don’t know how to bring my Savta because she’s still in bed. How can I put her in the wheelchair?’ I almost cried.
“I thought to myself, ‘Is this true? Is this real?’ They told me to go first, and then they would come back to get my Savta. I didn’t want to leave my Savta. They asked me to go to the bomb shelter. I’m praying, not for me. I’m praying for my Savta. ‘Oh God, please keep my Savta safe when I’m not with her!’”
Pidlaoan has been in Israel for other wars, but this felt different for her. “We Filipinos opened our cellphones, and then oh my gosh! Hamas sent a lot of pictures and videos about what they did in Israel. It makes me shaky. I thought to myself, ‘Oh God, help the people of Israel!’
“I closed my eyes, and I said a prayer. I asked for comfort and protection for the families that were taken hostage. This is horrific! This is the most horrible horror I’ve ever heard. It makes me cry.
“It makes me hurt and cry that all the foreign workers, especially Filipinos we have lost. Filipinos died and are hostages also. It’s so painful. It broke my heart.
“I am praying and hoping that this war will end and the hostages will be home with their families. And all the families that have lost family members will be comforted, and all the people in hospital beds will be healed,” she said, weeping.
Despite the fear and the pressure from her family back home, Pidlaoan has no plans to leave Israel.
“My family is so worried and scared for me and for all the Filipinos, especially those near the border where there are a lot of rockets. Our family keeps praying that this war will end and justice will prevail. They are also praying for the peace of Jerusalem and Israel.
“They keep telling me, ‘Cecelia, you need to go home.’ They are afraid for me, especially my son. But I told them that I am still safe in Jerusalem.
“If Savta still needs me, especially in this situation of war, I will stay here. It’s hard for me to leave my job and my duty as a caregiver because of the situation. If the family of my Savta sends me home because of this war, I will go; but in the meantime, while I’m here in Israel, the Davis family is my family.
“My other poor Filipinos died with their ba’al habayit because we Filipinos, we love our employer. Our duty is sacred. We will still stay put wherever we are right now, to care and protect our ba’al habayit, even if the situation is difficult, even life and death. That is our vow as foreign workers – to protect and to serve.
“So my family understands right now what is my decision. They keep praying for me and the situation in Israel. We are hoping that this war will end and that justice will prevail and all the victims who lost family members will get justice. They deserve it.
“I don’t know for how long, but I’m still believing and praying that if I still have the koach [strength] to work and I can serve the people of Israel, I will stay here. This place is very, very important to me as a Christian, to serve the Jewish people. We stand with Israel, whatever happens. God bless Israel. God bless Israel,” she concluded.
Sheltering foreign workers and vulnerable elderly
Philip Bendheim, director of international relations at Yad Sarah and member of the Yad Sarah Board of Trustees, spoke to the Magazine about the NGO’s offering “a safe haven for dozens of evacuated caregivers from Southeast Asia who are bravely standing by their clients and Israel.
“Yad Sarah recently opened the Yirmiyahu 33 Rehabilitation and Wellness Hotel, which is specifically designed to host people with disabilities and special medical needs. As part of Yad Sarah’s Emergency War Relief campaign, we repurposed Yirmiyahu 33 to shelter evacuees who require special care, along with their caregivers.
“Many foreign workers have been among the victims and casualties of the war. We know this is particularly distressing for many of the foreign caretakers who have bravely decided to stay in Israel alongside their clients. We are honored to provide dozens of individuals from countries across the globe – such as Moldova, Azerbaijan, the Philippines, India, and Thailand – a place of respite,” he said.
Reena Raj, a home health worker from Cochin, India, is typical. As Raj watched most of the residents around her in Kiryat Shmona, near Israel’s border with Lebanon, comply with government orders to leave the city, she grew increasingly nervous.
“I didn’t know how we could leave,” she recalled, since Ayisa Zaguri, the 97-year-old woman she takes care of, is bedridden. They didn’t have a way out or anywhere to go. Meanwhile, every day was filled with booms from artillery and air-raid sirens.
“I was afraid there and afraid to leave,” Raj said. Eventually, Yad Sarah helped Raj and Zaguri get to Jerusalem and is now hosting them at Yirmiyahu 33.
“I am so thankful that these organizations and the Israeli government are taking care of us – even of me, a foreign worker, I feel very well taken care of and safe here,” said Raj, who came to Israel four years ago to care for Zaguri. The accommodations, which include a hospital bed and accessible shower, are also essential for Zaguri, who has lived through several other wars in Israel and survived anti-Jewish measures in Morocco during World War II.
“My family at home is worried, but I told them I am safe now and I will not leave, as my patient that employs me really needs me. I have decided to stay here, to support her and to support Israel,” Raj said.
Since October 7, Yad Sarah has worked in close collaboration with hospital and government officials, enabling the NGO to identify the specific individuals who were evacuated to the hotel.
“Expenses are being partially covered through a combination of government subsidies and public donations coming in from Yad Sarah’s wartime campaign, as well as general donations to Yad Sarah,” Bendheim said. “As the duration of the war remains uncertain, Yad Sarah is now appealing for additional urgently needed contributions so the hotel can continue sheltering vulnerable evacuees.
“The foreign workers are treated the same as every other one of our guests and receive the same experience as the people they care for. Because Yad Sarah is providing all guests with three meals a day, laundry, and a cleaning service, certain daily tasks that a caregiver would have for their clients are also taken care of, such as preparing food and cleaning after themselves and their clients. Everyone is grateful for any help they can get during this time,” said Bendheim.
He explained the operational success of the specially equipped hotel. “From our interaction with the foreign caregivers, everyone at Yirmiyahu 33 appears more than happy to be out of harm’s way and to be staying in our very comfortable hotel with the opportunity to be with others from their home countries as they commiserate, heal, and lean on one another. At the same time, while many foreign caregivers have left the country, Yad Sarah is doing all it can to fill the gaps and provide nursing care for those people at the hotel who no longer have caregivers.” ■