A Jewish survivor of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack is still struggling to cope, urging for peace in Israel.

Eden Gefner stated that it was nothing short of a miracle that they survived the Oct. 7th attack, as they heard Hamas gunfire shatter their front door while hiding in their safe room, anxiously listening as Hamas terrorists searched through their home.

Gefner stated, "As time went on, we realized that there were numerous terrorists in the kibbutz, as we could see it through the community WhatsApp group."

She said, "I can hear them screaming, 'Kill the Jews!'" as people were saying it.

Her mind is still reeling from it to this day, she said.

"On Saturday morning, I didn't do anything. I only woke up as a Jew. So I really felt like I was in the Holocaust."

Gefner, 28, was born and raised in Kibbutz Re'im in Israel.

The Supernova Sukkot music festival took place just three miles from the border with Gaza, where Hamas killed 364 civilians on Oct. 7.

Suddenly, she transitioned from a typical millennial contemplating her future to convinced that she and her family were now living in the Holocaust, with the certainty that they would perish solely due to their Jewish identity.

She went from being a normal millennial thinking about her future to believing she was now in the Holocaust.

She realized that she hadn't achieved all her dreams, including not graduating and not getting married, and thought, 'This is it.'

In a recent episode of "Lighthouse Faith" podcast, recorded in East Hampton, New York, Gefner shared her story of survival with a small group at Chabad of the Hamptons before speaking.

The Faces of October 7th Project aims to humanize the consequences of terrorism and challenge the support that terrorist organizations like Hamas have gained, particularly among young people.

Gefner recounted how her mother used to talk about the beauty of Gaza.

"My parents have incredible, sentimental memories of their time in Gaza, where they visited the market and the beach, which is breathtaking."

For years, her mother assured her that nothing would transpire, and they would live in harmony. Gefner held onto the conviction that Jews and Palestinians could coexist peacefully.

Gefner and her parents and boyfriend woke to the sound of civil defense sirens ... not unusual. Then the sirens sounded for a second time — then a third.

Over the years, Hamas has shown an increase in aggression, according to Gefner, who is studying management and psychology at Reichman University in Herzliya near Tel Aviv.

"In 2014, Hamas emerged from tunnels in some kibbutzim."

She considered these events as typical microaggressions until October 7, 2023.

The sirens sounded three times, not an unusual occurrence for Gefner and her parents and boyfriend.

The TV was turned on by the group to discover that Hamas had carried out a significant attack in the area, resulting in the shooting of civilians and the taking of hostages.

The family took refuge in the safe room, but the rooms lack locks as a fire safety measure.

The decision was made that if they were going to die, they would die together.

Her grandmother, who survived the Holocaust in Europe, always told her that the attic was their safe place against Nazis, according to Gefner.

Yet her father decided not to go to the attic with the family.

If they were going to die, they would do so together. They returned to the safe room.

Gefner recorded on her phone the rapid-fire sounds of an automatic rifle close by. She recognized the weapons as Hamas, not the IDF, due to her experience in the Israeli army.

Gunfire followed two knocks on their glass front door.

Gefner stated, "We could hear the door shattering into a million pieces. And like a horror movie, when everything became quiet, you could only hear the steps as he tried to look for us."

Her father and boyfriend clung tightly to the door knob, aware that it was a matter of life or death.

"The devil was inside our whole house, in our home. And my father began to say goodbye to my mom."

Their neighbor had informed them that their other neighbor was shot and killed in front of his young children.

"The scariest moment for me and my family was when the devil appeared in our house and my father said goodbye to my mother."

She remembered that her boyfriend's eyes conveyed, "How will we endure it?" as she gazed at him.

Suddenly, we noticed the door [knob] moving down as if the terrorist was trying to enter their home. However, my father and my boyfriend quickly intervened, and we engaged in a struggle over the door.

For several minutes, it was a tug of war ... literally.

Then more silence.

Endless silence.

Would the terrorist try to shoot through the safe room?

Uncertain of what they would discover, the family stayed in the safe room for 30 hours.

Was there a Hamas terrorist waiting for them to emerge? No, there was no terrorist. Maybe he was in the attic; maybe he was starting a fire to burn the house down. But nothing.

Gefner said, "For me, it was a miracle."

Mystery — and gratitude

In other kibbutzin, Hamas were not so easy on safe-room doors.

Hamas' use of explosives and shooting through doors has resulted in orphaned classmates for Gefner, who attended high school with them.

"She said today, 'I can't understand. He [the Hamas terrorist] knew we [were] in the home because he tried to open the door and met our resistance from the other side. So he knew we [were] inside. I'm still thinking about it now. Why did he give up?'"

It is still a mystery to her, for which she is grateful.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, Gefner has been dealing with the political aftermath as Israel has been engaged in a prolonged military operation against Hamas in Gaza.

Through November, her boyfriend served in the military for three months. He shared with her the intricate network of tunnels constructed by Hamas in Gaza, including the concealed hideouts and offices located beneath schools and hospitals.

"It's very simple. Israel has to destroy Hamas."

Politicians in America have also been vocal in their defense of Israel amid growing outrage over the deaths of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza due to the efforts to eliminate Hamas.

On "Fox & Friends," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., highlighted that the objective is not civilians, but Hamas.

"Rubio stated that Israel must destroy Hamas because Hamas considers survival as their definition of victory. Despite being in power and holding press conferences, Hamas's continued existence is their victory."

The protests on college campuses and in city streets in America have left Gefner feeling frustrated, particularly in light of the rise of antisemitism.

She wished that all the hate directed towards the Jewish people and Israel could be channeled towards Hamas.

The Palestinians are not oppressed by Israel or Jews, but by Hamas, she stated.

She stated that instead of saying 'free from Israel,' they should shout 'free Palestinians from Hamas,' as Hamas is the one holding Palestine, not us.

As a child of Israel who has never experienced a time when Israel did not exist, she is imploring not only for her own future but also for the Palestinians' future.

"We have one Earth," said Hefner.

"We must comprehend how to coexist, and I will use one space."

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