On Thanksgiving Day 2023, Nina Katz’s parents prayed for her safety. That day, the 24-year-old from Longmeadow had been drafted into the Israeli Defense Forces and was at war with the terrorist group Hamas.

After two years of fearing for her life, the family is grateful that this Thanksgiving was her last day of active duty with the Israeli military. She joins the Army reserves Sunday and will conclude her service Dec. 18.

“I’m both proud and thankful because she’s been fighting in a war for her entire two years of service,” said Katz’s mother, Rabbi Amy Wallk, who lives in Longmeadow and leads Temple Beth El in Springfield.

Katz is the youngest of three children and a graduate of Longmeadow High School. She dropped out of a graphic design program at the University of Kansas and travel

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