OFAKIM, ISRAEL — In a bomb shelter festooned with Israeli flags and colorful plastic bunting, children who lost parents in the Hamas attacks on Israel danced, sang and ate jelly donuts, courtesy of a young Californian boy who forged an unlikely bond with the devastated community.
At the center of Thursday’s bittersweet Hanukkah celebration was 13-year-old Ori Ohayon, whose father, Moshe, 52, and older brother, Eliad, 23, were killed when they confronted militants storming their small, conservative hometown of Ofakim in southern Israel. His mom Sarit and siblings Amitai, Yair, Shira, and Uri also survived.
Moshe and Eliad were among 48 people killed in the community, according to officials in the city, which sits around 11 miles east of the Gaza Strip.
After NBC News first met Ori as it reported on the tragedy that befell Ofakim, 12-year-old Chayton Tecumseh, thousands of miles away in California, was inspired to take action.
And after reaching out to Ori, the pair communicated via video calls and text messages.
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“There was something about the boy’s dad that reminded me of my own,” Chayton told NBC News by text message Wednesday. “The more I learned about Ori, and the heroic acts of his dad and brother, the more I felt his pain and loss,” he added.
After learning that Ori was about to celebrate his bar mitzvah — a Jewish rite of passage that marks a boy’s 13th birthday — Chayton, who is not Jewish, donated $745 from his allowance money for the event, which has not been held yet as Ori is still grieving for his family.
After that Chayton was determined to do more for other kids orphaned in the attacks, so he went on a charity drive. Working with Ori’s family, they identified 32 children and teens to support.
Mical Santhouse, Ori’s aunt, said the family received $3,200 from Chayton, to be distributed as gifts of toys…
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