Prologue
Adele Raemer has lived on Kibbutz Nirim, less than 2 kilometers from the Gaza border, for over 50 years. She made Aliya from New York at 19, during the Yom Kippur War, to Kibbutz Kertura, arrived at Nirim through her army service in 1975, and never left.
When she first arrived on Nirim, the Gaza border was not a war zone; however, since 2005, when Israel pulled out of Gaza, communities like Nirim have weathered cycles of rocket fire, tunnel infiltrations, and incendiary attacks, sometimes weeks apart, sometimes months, but never truly over.
In 2011, Adele turned to what was then a new tool, social media, to show the world what life on the border actually looks like. She shared quiet mornings and sirens, routine and rocket fire. She created a Facebook group, “Life on the Border With Gaza,” where she and residents documented ordinary days and those spent running for shelter. She blogged for CNN and writes for the Times of Israel. In 2018, she testified before the UN Human Rights Council about conditions on the border and was named by Haaretz as one of the year’s most influential Jewish voices. A year later, she addressed the UN Security Council.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Kibbutz Nirim. Adele and her son sheltered in her safe room. Her daughter, son-in-law, and three grandchildren sheltered in theirs. They survived. Their community was evacuated—first to Eilat, then to Be’er Sheva. Most of her community returned this past summer.In the months that followed, Adele traveled to Washington, Berlin, Houston, L.A., Nashville, and more, to bear witness. She was an honored guest at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner for CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network). She could have stopped there, but she chose to enroll in FOA’s Online Activist Fellowship instead. She completed the full program this month.
Recently, Adele agreed to answer a few questions, giving us a chance to spotlight one of the FOA workshop graduates and a fierce advocate for her people.
You created “Life on the Border With Gaza” in 2011, long before most people were thinking about online advocacy. What pushed you to start sharing your reality online?
I became aware of the lack of publicity of the frequent rocket attacks we were suffering from when, during one of the periods of the peaks in rocket fire, I was on a Skype call with a cousin in New York and understood that the media in the US were not talking about these attacks at all! I considered my options and decided to open a group on Facebook. My original idea was to have people from the region write about our realities in different languages, but I quickly saw that it would just turn into a cacophony and limited it to English. I had also intended for people from Gaza to write about THEIR side of the border, as well. That was short-lived, since, for the most part, those who joined didn’t have English on a level that enabled constructive communication. There WERE a few who were able to communicate, and we even did a few FB live / Skype calls with people from our side and those from Gaza, but the Gazans eventually found it was too dangerous to continue with those interactions (due to Hamas objections, of course).
Honestly, I am trying to reach anyone who is interested in learning more about our lives here, and is truly willing to communicate in good faith, with an open mind. When I blog for the ToI, it is more of a personal outlet to share my thoughts and realities. I believe that the reason I have been so successful in reaching people who live elsewhere is that I am not in uniform, I’m not a politician, nor a fundraiser (usually), rather I come as a regular citizen. A person who was born and raised abroad, and had circumstances been different, I could have been in their position, and they could have been in mine. I guess people find it easy to identify with me and relate to me as a person because I talk about our challenges, but also about our joys and successes, our hopes and fears – real life – in parallel, to a certain extent, with their own lives.
You have a public profile, which comes with a cost. How do you deal with the pushback and the fatigue that come with putting yourself out there?
Hey – I survived the terrorists, right? I can deal with some online trolls 😉
Interesting question – I’ve never been asked that one before. I have learned that most people are kind and open to hearing from me. I have also learned that there are some who express sympathy to my face, but then, apparently, are not really interested in listening to something that is not in line with their conceptions. I felt that most acutely after being brought to Geneva to bear witness to an independent committee for the UN investigating the violence on our border in 2018, when there were violent demonstrations on the Gazan side, and massive kite and balloon arson fires that were being perpetrated by Gazans, causing terrible damage to our region. The interviewers seemed very sympathetic to our situation, but when I read the report that was produced… well… I felt that I could have just as well never spoken to them for all I saw reflected in their findings. Also, when I give an interview, I always make sure to ask for a link to see what they have included and what has been omitted. I have seen my words twisted a few times, just in the way of what was included in the interview and what landed on the editing floor. That is partially the reason I prefer to write my own experiences in a blog or post.
With your years of online experience, what made you decide to join FOA’s Online Activist Fellowship? And did the program give you tools you didn’t already have?
As a principle, I always say “yes” when a new program or opportunity is offered. I always learn SOMETHING, and the networking that goes on in courses is usually just as helpful and significant as the course itself. Regarding the FOA course, all the sessions were helpful, but I believe I would have benefited more from one tailored to Israelis. The issues that Jews abroad face regarding threats of Jew hatred are different from what we deal with here in Israel. Having said that, it was good connecting with other like-minded people abroad. Interacting with Jews abroad always gives me strength and hope that we can support each other. Of course, I find it especially inspiring to speak with non-Jews who are supportive and know they have our backs.
How do you react today to the antisemitism and anti-Zionist hate? Do you report them, confront them? What would you advise others?
When posts that are clearly hateful show up in my feed, I report and block them. No sense giving them oxygen or wasting time on them, be they real or just bots. Sometimes I confront them in comments on what they write in my posts. I write to people who have written something in which I can tell they have invested time (if not thought), and I feel there is a chance they are NOT locked into their beliefs and might change their minds, at least a little, if they hear the other side of the story. For the clear haters, I report, block, and delete. I have no illusions that I will be able to change their minds. They are the ones who are too far gone and won’t let facts get in the way of their beliefs. I don’t mind leaving their comments on my feed sometimes, so others can see the venomous hatred out there, but I have had people write me privately, clearly hurt by something someone has responded to them, and in those cases, I delete the hurtful comments.
I have just published this in the Times of Israel – you might find it relevant: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/this-is-my-frontline-now/
You can also find Adele on Instagram