One Day in October

Forty Heroes, Forty Stories

By: Yair Agmon, Oriya Mevorach

Narrated by: Shlomo Zacks, Michelle Atias

Shaylee placed her little finger in her newborn baby’s mouth to keep her quiet. Shlomo sat on the couch and pretended to be asleep. Nasreen removed the laces from her children’s shoes. Mickey demanded that the terrorist keep his promise. Amit comforted the last patient in the clinic. Aner threw seven live grenades out of the public shelter. Emanuel made sure that a fallen soldier’s love letter would reach its destination.

And it all happened on a single day, one day in October. October 7th, 2023, was the most tragic day in Israeli history. Hamas terrorist forces attacked and ravaged the Gaza border area, killing 1200 and taking 250 hostage. Hamas murdered and brutalized young and old, Jew and non-Jew, civilian and soldier. And in response, from every strand of Israeli society, heroes stepped forward to save lives and defend their humanity.

One Day in October introduces us to forty real-life Israeli heroes from that day, in their own words. All forty stories take place within the same twenty-four-hour period, in the same patch of beautiful, broken, blood-soaked land. These heroes are unforgettable, their stories inconceivable. Emerging from the pain and sorrow inflicted on that day, these first-person accounts offer consolation and hope.

©2024 Koren Publishers Jerusalem (P)2025 Koren Publsihers Jerusalem

Bearing witness

I believe very strongly in bearing witness, no matter how painful it may be. It’s the very least and very important thing we can do for those who suffered such unbearable losses. This is a powerful collection of testimonies. Sharing and describing with such sensitivity, love and detail who these people are before delving into their experiences of October 7 deeply humanizes them, and makes the impact of that day so much more vivid, painful, and meaningful. Excellent and important work.

Powerful stories

This book is so well compiled, and the stories are absolutely heartbreaking and inspiring. The performances are fantastic, even doing a great job pronouncing the Hebrew. It’s a must read listen!

Book incredible - Female Reader Awful

The female reader on this book doesn’t understand conventions of English language. It was such an awful representation of such incredible stories of sacrifice and heroism and horror. She read it so badly it made it impossible to sit through. As a former English teacher I offer my services free of charge to reread all the parts of this book in the female voice. I am so sad this book sounds so awful because it’s a vital testament of our people.

importent history

a book everyone needs to read. a storys of heroics men and women who did a lot to survive and to save lives. highly recommended.