By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin in Pikesville, Maryland
The remarkable book If You’re Reading These Words: Last Letters from Heroes of the October 7th War is one of the most moving and unforgettable books to emerge from the trauma of October 7 and the war that followed. Toby Press that publishes it is the Jerusalem-based publishing house, founded in 1999, that specializes in literary fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, with a focus on Jewish and Israeli themes, classics, and translations. It is associated with Koren Publishers Jerusalem and serves as a key publisher for Israeli literature in English.
This 2026 228-page collection gathers 49 final letters, messages, and reflections from Israelis who sensed they might not survive. Shlomo Kavas and Racheli Palant-Rozen collected it. It is translated beautifully from Hebrew by Sara Daniel and introduced with a heartfelt foreword by Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog. The book contains information and pictures of the 49 soldiers. It is not a simple memorial. It is filled with heroism, a lesson for everyone.
The book is powerful because of its astonishing humanity. The essays were not written for publication. They were composed in haste, uncertainty, and in the dark, morbid shadow of imminent death. However, one can feel the writer’s living pulse. Some letters have humor and teasing inside jokes meant for family and friends. Others have ordinary human concerns: children, spouses, parents, friendships, unfinished dreams, and the hope that loved ones will endure. Some are painful, expressing fear and regret, others optimism and love.
The emotional range is extraordinary and serves as a splendid message and lesson for readers. One page may have readers smiling at a soldier’s wit; the next may be almost unbearable because of its honesty. No letter romanticizes war. All reveal remarkable courage—not merely battlefield bravery -but the courage to speak truthfully when facing possible death. Many writers do not focus on themselves but courageously comfort those they leave behind, while confronting their own terror.
Sara Daniel’s translation preserves the intimacy of the Hebrew originals. President Herzog’s foreword frames the collection not only as a national document but as a deeply human one. Readers with diverse political and religious views will be affected by these voices. The letters shout louder and clearer than headlines and statistics. They remind readers that history is composed of individuals much like ourselves. If You’re Reading These Words shows that heroism is found in the simple acts of humanity—the ability to love deeply, laugh honestly, and face darkness with courage.
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Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin is a retired brigadier general in the U.S. Army chaplain corps and the author of 67 books.