This address was delivered at the 8th annual National Jewish Retreat. For more information and to register for the next retreat, visit: Jretreat.com.
activism, camp, charity, comfort, courage, Israel, Koby Mandell, National Jewish Retreat 2013, suffering, terrorism, teshuvah
![In May of 2001, Seth and Sherri Mandel received the worst news that a parent could hear: their eldest son, Koby, had been cruelly murdered. Sherri and Seth didn't know how they could possibly continue to live without their child -- nor did they want to. But in the decade since that horrible tragedy, the Mandells have learned that pain can be chanelled into growth, and that while you never go back to being the person you once were, the pain is a springboard to become even greater.
The Mandells founded Camp Koby, a camp for children who've lost a loved one to a terrorist attack, and the Koby Mandell Foundation, helping mothers and widows find solace and support in community.
Here, Mrs. Mandell shares her "five Cs" -- for thriving in the face of tragedy. Some words to remember:
"The thing that could help us was [giving] love and creating meaning."
"Once you can tell your story, it can change."](https://www.torahcafe.com/uploads/thumbs/190x105/696c178ec.jpg)