For years, nearly none of Israel Police Staff Sgt. Maj. Shlomit Natan, who is in charge of community policing in the French Hill neighborhood of Jerusalem, knew she had been hurt in a terrorist attack.
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This year, Natan told her commander and colleagues about her experiences when she suggested taking part in an annual project by the nonprofit group One Family – Overcoming Terror Together to distribute Purim parcels to families affected by terrorism.
It has been 17 years since the suicide bombing at Hillel Café in Jerusalem, which claimed the lives of seven Israelis and left 57 wounded, including Natan, who was 35 at the time.
Recalling the horrific event, Natan says she was standing outside the café by the car belonging to Dr. David Appelbaum, then head of the emergency room at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, whose daughter Nava was killed in the bombing.
"Suddenly, I heard shouts. I saw someone shove the security guard, and in a second everything exploded. I was lying on the ground and the first thing I thought about was who would be my children's mother," she recalls.
One Family, founded to support families of Israeli wounded or killed in terrorist attacks, helped Natan during her rehabilitation.
"When Purim arrived, they asked if they could come by with a 'mishloah manot.' It was amazing," she says.
This year, Nata decided to take one step forward and take charge of the organization's distribution of Purim parcels nationwide. She brought community police commanders in on the project. Along with One Family volunteers, they handed out 3,000 parcels.
"It helps me make peace with what happened. I healed myself through activity and giving," she says.
One Family CEO Chantal Belzberg said that the police officer "warmed the families' hearts."
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