Survivor of Hamas terror attack speaks in Folsom
FOLSOM - On October 7, 2023, Ilya Tarshansky's life changed forever. His son was killed, his daughter kidnapped, and his home burnt to the ground.
The Jewish Community Center of Folsom and El Dorado Hills hosted the event Thursday saying it's important for people to hear first-hand the horror of the day.
"It's still hard for me to accept what happened to me and my family and to my community," Tarshansky said.
He is speaking to several California communities in the coming weeks, in hopes of honoring his children and all of those lost that day.
"Around 100 people killed, kids, grownups, older people, my son was killed, he was 16 years old, my daughter was taken as a hostage for two months," Tarshansky said.
During his presentation, he shared a short documentary about the impact of the attack. He said life is forever changed and he is sharing his story, educating others on the reality of that day.
When asked about the ongoing demonstrations happening at college campuses across the United States, he said he visited the University of California, Los Angeles to see for himself the protests.
"I wanted to see these people for myself, both sides are losing," Tarshansky hopes there is a more constructive way people can have their voices heard moving forward. "We need to talk and to discuss and maybe argue but not fighting and struggling because there's already fighting and struggling going on."
Extra security was on hand at the Folsom Community Center out of an abundance of caution. During the presentation and afterward, the event remained peaceful and included a chance for the crowd to ask questions about the reality of what is happening in some parts of the Middle East.
In a press release ahead of the event, Rabbi Yossi Grossbaum of Chabad said:
"It's an honor for us to host Ilya and we're so fortunate that he has agreed to come to Folsom in person to share his story. With all the confusing messages, it's important for our communities to hear the first hand account of someone who personally experienced the horrors of October 7th."
