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In the days following October 7, in which Hamas militants killed nearly 1,200 people, Yarden Garzon struggled to eat and sleep. The outbreak of war in Israel and the Gaza Strip was deeply distressing to her, as she watched the news from Bloomington, Indiana, where she is a sophomore guard. Yarden, who was born and raised in Israel, was concerned about her friends, her family, her country. “I think I was even more nervous than my mom,” Garzon said. “The first week was really scary.”
Garzon’s parents are living half a world away from him, in their home in Ra’anana, Israel, an affluent suburb north of Tel Aviv, about 50 miles from the epicenter of the war. Still, as the death toll has risen over the past two months, her family has spent time in a home bomb shelter. Sirens warning of air raids echoed across the sky.
Of Garzón’s three siblings, only his older sister, Lior Garzón, is also in the United States. She is a senior at Oklahoma State and was a preseason honorable mention all-conference forward for the Cowgirls. “This is one of my most important seasons,” Lior said. “I didn’t know what to do. to live. Have to go home, be with your family. “It was really a question of what to do.”
She stopped. But it’s been 82 days since the world moved for Garzon. Since then, they have played important roles for their respective schools. Both have started every game and are averaging double-digit points. They’re also dealing with grief.
As adults, they knew what to do when sirens went off. The sound didn’t ring every day or week – Yarden describes his childhood as peaceful – but Lior says they were always prepared for whatever might happen. Her father, Eitan Garzon, recalls a game his daughters were playing when the sirens went off. Everyone ran to safety, but the game eventually resumed as normal.
Both Garzons have long been attracted to basketball, even when presented with the option. As a child, Leor used to dance and swim, Eaton said. He also tried his hand at judo and tennis. Yarden was a talented painter and played volleyball. Nevertheless, most appeals were made to courts outside the region. “Ultimately, whatever routes I send them on, they go back to basketball,” said Eaton, who also played while growing up. Their success has become a point of pride — Lior and Yarden both represented Israel at last summer’s European Championships, which were partly held in Tel Aviv — and a launchpad to travel the world.
When Yarden goes to Indiana’s practice facility Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall or Cook Hall, she tries to focus on the game. The gym is “like that safe place,” he said.
“I clear my mind when I focus on basketball,” she said.
But if he has his phone in his hand, it becomes difficult to ignore news from the area. Lior has tried to convince his sister, who was already used to watching the daily news, to take regular breaks and not necessarily keep track of every minute updates. Lior admitted that she initially felt anxious during practice, wondering, “What if something is going to happen right now?”
Lior Garzon writes a message in Hebrew on his sneakers before an Oklahoma State game. (Courtesy of OSU Athletics)
It is almost impossible to reconcile the situations in their two worlds. Lior sports the Star of David on both of his Nike sneakers. On the left shoe he wrote in Hebrew, “You may never kill our soul.” In the handshake line after Oklahoma State’s loss to Colorado in early November, the Buffalo coaches told him they were thinking of him and his family.
She cried when a moment of silence was held for the thousands killed during a fight at an Oklahoma State football game earlier this season. Her teammates made her a gift basket, filled with milk chocolate Hershey Kisses and a Starbucks gift card. “To feel that other people care about you and know what you’re going through, to enjoy the moment, I think was really special,” Lior said.
In Indiana, a section of fans attending an early December game against Stetson wore blue shirts with the words “We Stand with Yarden” on the front and a Star of David inside a basketball. Assistant coach Rhett Wirzba, who hosted Yarden for a Shabbat dinner shortly after the war began, is wearing a lapel pin of the Israeli flag on his jacket to support the second-year student. Hoosiers players even posed for a photo holding the flag just days after the initial attack. “It’s little things we can do that will let him know how much he is loved,” Wirzba said.
Yarden Garzon, a sophomore in Indiana, has received support from her peers to deal with the conflict in her home country. (Courtesy of Indiana University Athletics)
Before Indiana’s season-opener on November 9, Yarden took a black Sharpie and wrote “Bring Them Home” while wrapping tape around his left wrist, the name of Noam Avigdori, a 12-year-old girl who was being held hostage at the time. Was. , is written below. Avigdori has returned to Israel after 50 days in detention, but Yarden continues to raise awareness for those who have been taken.
The gestures are made without prompting, Eaton said. “It comes from them, not from us,” he said in a phone interview. Nevertheless, his parents send photos and videos of his acts to his Israeli friends. Those are small displays of support. “The little things are the big things,” Eaton said. Even brief moments of happiness are moments of happiness.
Eaton says he and his wife often talk to their daughters more than once a day. They try to remain calm and assure them of their safety. But Eaton said, “Both of them take it very seriously.” “It’s different to talk about it because we just need to touch them or hug them.” However, Lior said having Yarden in America helps. “We feel like (we’re) in the same boat,” she said. The sisters send messages every day about events at school, their respective events, and the war. The community has been prominent.
It took some time for Lior to concentrate on basketball. Even the game he played since childhood could not divert his attention. “Like why would I enjoy this when people are literally fighting for their lives right now?” He asked.
However, more than a third of the way through the season, he has found himself enjoying the season. He has gained strength from feeling an additional purpose. She said, “I think right now my mind is[thinking]this is the best way I can represent Israel, just show how strong we are and that no one can really kill our spirit.” “
These words are written on his sneaker. She moves forward with every step.
(Illustration: Shawn Reilly / athletic, Photos of Yarden and Lior Garzon: Icon Sportswire via Jeffrey Brown/Getty Images, Michael Hickey/Getty Images, courtesy of OSU Athletics)
