Matti Gorodenchik is a special education teacher and football coach at Kaimuki High School. While at a game Saturday, he was getting texts about the attack on Israel — where he is from and where his family still lives.
Kaimuki High School special education teacher Matti Gorodenchik
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Courtesy Matti Gorodenchik
He was distraught not knowing if his loved ones were dead or alive as Hamas closed in. It was a life-or-death situation in real-time from across the globe for his best friend and his sister.
When The Conversation reached him Thursday morning, he recalled the agonizing time on the field as two people close to him shared texts about how close they came to becoming casualties.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Oct. 12, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
