Delly Hezel: Bound to Israel from Afar
On the northern edges of the Black Forest in Germany, Delly Hezel and her friends open their doors and hearts to Israeli victims of terror: “Here in Altensteig, this is our way of taking a stand for Israel and the Jewish People.”
Delly, a geriatric nurse, dubbed their initiative, “To Host a Terror Victim.” For over a decade, Delly has invited Israeli guests to stay in her home, to rest and enjoy the beauty of the Black Forest. Among her recent guests was Nuriel Arazi, bereaved brother of Ofek Arazi who was murdered on October 7th, 2023.
Delly and her friends have also hosted Israelis from the Biblical Heartland, offering them a fully kosher kitchen for their use. “We do it all out of a sense of belonging and commitment to God and the People and Land of Israel,” Delly added.
Delly first visited Israel at the age of nineteen. She remembers being awestruck at the majesty of Jerusalem’s Old City walls. But Delly became truly bound to the Land and People of Israel during her second trip. Born in May 1967, Delly celebrated her 40th birthday in Jerusalem as the city was celebrating the 40th anniversary of its reunification.
Seeing the walls of Jerusalem for the second time, Delly developed a new and deeply meaningful appreciation for the prophesied restoration of Jerusalem and the Land of Israel. “As I flew back to Germany, I shed tears, immediately feeling homesick,” she continued. “It was then that I declared to God that from my physical home in Altensteig, I would remain bound not only to Him but to His Land and People.”
Delly makes sure to regularly tour the Biblical Heartland. During one trip a decade ago, she was introduced to CFOIC Heartland. She remembers being inspired on one of her trips by remarks from CFOIC Heartland’s executive director, Shmuel Junger.
“Shmuel pointed out how Judea and Samaria function together as the Heartland of Israel,” she recalled. “It was specifically Jerusalem and the other ancient cities of the Biblical Heartland that the People of Israel have dreamt of restoring for centuries.”
Since May 2007, Delly has visited Israel several times a year, often with CFOIC Heartland. Each time, Delly develops more ties to people on the ground, inspired by their self-sacrifice and commitment to the Biblical Heartland.
“I declared to God that from my physical home in Altensteig, I would remain bound not only to Him but to His Land and People.”
“A division is taking place now between the forces of light and those of darkness. There is no clearer time than now to stand with the People and Land of Israel, and I am privileged to do so alongside CFOIC Heartland!.”
Delly was in Israel on October 7th, 2023, and the horrific attacks that day impacted her deeply. “I could not leave to go back to Germany during this most wretched time for the People of Israel,” she said.
Indeed, Delly remained in Israel for the next few months. She knew too many people in the decimated communities near Gaza. In the weeks after October 7th, Delly joined pioneers in Sussya and Mitzpe Yair, and assisted in the preparation of food for soldiers stationed in both communities and in the Gaza region.
Shortly after October 7th, once she was back in Germany, Delly organized a weekly demonstration of solidarity for Israel, held to this day, every Sunday at Altensteig’s central town square. At each gathering, she and other Christians proudly display Israeli flags, declaring their allegiance to God and love for the Land and People of Israel.
Delly returned to Israel during the war, joining Shmuel Junger on visits to Revava, Tekoa, Migdal Oz and so many other communities in Judea and Samaria. She was amazed at the pioneering spirit, at the dedication of the young women as their men were off fighting in Gaza. Whole communities with almost no men! Delly left after that visit with a far deeper understanding of the realities of life in the Biblical Heartland.
“Just like in the beginning of the book of Genesis, a division is taking place now between the forces of light and those of darkness,” Delly said. “There is no clearer time than now to stand with the People and Land of Israel, and I am privileged to do so alongside CFOIC Heartland!”