The Blessing of a Broken Heart with Sherri Mandell episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 22, 2025 · 42 MIN

The Blessing of a Broken Heart with Sherri Mandell

from Be Present: The Diane Ray Show · host Mind Body Spirit.fm

As the conflict between Israel and Palestine continues to rage on, it's the regular people who are suffering. Mothers who have lost children, families shattered by loss of loved ones, these are the people who are really affected. The pain doesn't go away. Sherri Mandell’s son Koby was only 13 when he was brutally murdered by Palestinian terrorists on May 8, 2001. He was killed along with his 14-year-old friend Josef when they were hiking in a canyon not far from their home. They were found in a cave after being stoned to death. Apparently, they died in a chance encounter with their attackers. The killers have never been identified. Sherri writes about this in her book The Blessing of a Broken Heart, which was first released in 2009. In the book she describes her refusal to give in to hatred. Instead, after Koby’s death she started The Koby Mandell Foundation that runs a camp and healing retreats in Israel for family members of terror victims. The foundation continues it's work today.  It’s easy to be outraged when you hear stories like this, but they are important to hear. As Sherri says in the book, while her broken heart will never be the same and she will always long for her son -it is possible to build a new heart.  When we can see others in pain and suffering and we see ourselves,  we can become more compassionate and be able to touch others. That is the blessing of a broken heart. Find out more about The Koby Mandell Foundation About Sherri Mandell Blessing of a Broken Heart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the conflict between Israel and Palestine continues to rage on, it's the regular people who are suffering. Mothers who have lost children, families shattered by loss of loved ones, these are the people who are really affected. The pain doesn't go away. Sherri Mandell’s son Koby was only 13 when he was brutally murdered by Palestinian terrorists on May 8, 2001. He was killed along with his 14-year-old friend Josef when they were hiking in a canyon not far from their home. They were found in a cave after being stoned to death. Apparently, they died in a chance encounter with their attackers. The killers have never been identified. Sherri writes about this in her book The Blessing of a Broken Heart, which was first released in 2009. In the book she describes her refusal to give in to hatred. Instead, after Koby’s death she started The Koby Mandell Foundation that runs a camp and healing retreats in Israel for family members of terror victims. The foundation continues it's work today.  It’s easy to be outraged when you hear stories like this, but they are important to hear. As Sherri says in the book, while her broken heart will never be the same and she will always long for her son -it is possible to build a new heart.  When we can see others in pain and suffering and we see ourselves,  we can become more compassionate and be able to touch others. That is the blessing of a broken heart. Find out more about The Koby Mandell Foundation About Sherri Mandell Blessing of a Broken Heart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The Blessing of a Broken Heart with Sherri Mandell

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This episode was published on September 22, 2025.

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As the conflict between Israel and Palestine continues to rage on, it's the regular people who are suffering. Mothers who have lost children, families shattered by loss of loved ones, these are the people who are really affected. The pain doesn't...

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