Silent Victims
BY MOSHE KATZ 
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL

January 11, 2025, Israel

Sometimes I wonder, does it really matter? Does it really make a difference? I cry out like a Hebrew prophet of old exhorting people to learn Krav Maga self-defense and I am answered with the Sounds of Silence. A few join, a few stay a little bit longer, but most are too preoccupied with other matters.  And I look at my community, I look at my congregation, and I wonder, should I keep up this bothersome activity? Should I keep being that Voice in the Wilderness? Does it really matter?

I mean, a generation comes, and a generation goes, and the fact that no one knows how to defend themselves does not change that. Even Israeli soldiers do not have a proper understanding of self-defense, I know, I have been there. I have taught at military bases, in Israel and around the world. My students enter the IDF and know more than their instructors, who passed brief course.

In the synagogue, I look at my happy congregation, all dear friends, but I can't seem to reach them. Many carry guns, some carry handguns, others carry long weapons, but that is not enough against a knife.

And I wonder, am I making a difference? Does this matter? Life goes on...No matter what I do or do not do, the next generation will be here, we will be gone, and the world goes on as is its custom. So what difference does it make if people know self-defense or not?

Perhaps there are one or two people whose lives might have been saved, but even that loss does not matter much in the final tally. There will always be deaths, some due to illness, some due to accidents, some due to terrorism and some due to crime, but does it really change anything? In the bottom line, I must admit, it does not. The world continues along its way, same as it ever was.

I looked at my congregation today, all happy and smiles, and I wonder, should I keep up this effort? Does it really matter? After all, everything seems just fine whether I teach Krav Maga or not. Does it really matter?

But then I thought.

What about the victims of violent crime, what about their families, they are here, they are among us, but they are neither seen nor heard. They are the Silent Ones among us. Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone. I have been at events and when I express my thoughts on certain topics, tragedies, I often am met with ...Wow, things have gotten dark and depressing here. In some cases, I have been told outright, please do not bring up "those" topics, you make everyone feel uncomfortable.  

So if one wants to be part of society one learns to keep quiet, to be selective in one's choice of words, of topics. Cry and you cry alone. 

I looked at my congregation earlier today, it was a beautiful day, words of rabbis, long since passed, came to life, the Sabbath was celebrated. It is nice to be part of a community, it is nice to fit in. "Sensitive" topics are only hinted at, Happiness is the key here. It has been a terrible period in Israel, and yet one remains optimistic. The pain, the scars, are hidden, And the Silent Victims walk among us, invisible. 

But I see them, and I hear them, and I see ghosts. And I know that if I can change one life, save one life, I must never stop. I think of the prophets of old and see them as my role models. The path to victory is filled with many losses. And the world is better for this that we do not give up. 

And the silent victims walk among us...

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Moshe Katz, 7th dan Black Belt, Israeli Krav Maga. Certified by Wingate Institute. Member Black Belt hall of fame, USA and Europe.

Understand the Israeli Fighting Mentality - Israel a Nation of Warriors by Moshe Katz

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What is the cultural background of Krav Maga?  What makes it unique? What makes the Israeli military so effective? Why are Israeli security systems used all over the world?

What makes Israeli airports so safe?

What are the Biblical origins of Krav Maga and who was the first Krav Maga instructor?

What weapons and military strategies did our Biblical ancestors use?

How has Krav Maga developed in Israel and what are its goals?

All that and more in this unique book.

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