Former Tulsan Stuck In Israel During Birthday Celebration Trip

Two brothers who grew up in Tulsa but now live in Denver, along with thousands of other Americans, paid close attention to the war in Israel.

That's because Jay and Harvey Epstein's mother was in Israel when Hamas attacked. 

Carmen Epstein first visited Israel with her late husband about 30 years ago, where she fell in love with the country and its culture. To celebrate her birthday, she treated herself to another trip, but she never thought she would spend it in the middle of a war. 

Carmen told her sons thousands of people in Israel had been locked in their rooms as they listened to rockets fly over their heads.

"We're at war, and don't worry, we're hiding, and we're sheltering in place, and we're safe right now," Harvey Epstein said, quoting his mother. 

That was the first text Harvey got from his mom while she celebrated her 80th birthday in Israel.

"I can't imagine doing that long of a flight and buying myself a birthday trip only to end up locked in a room hiding from a war," he said. 

Carmen Epstein was born in Mexico, raised her family in Tulsa, and moved out to Colorado to be closer to her boys after her husband died. She planned to spend a month in Israel but cut it short when the war broke out.

"I know she was trying to send texts that sounded like she was not afraid, but I could tell that she was kind of saying hey if I never see you again kind of texts," her son Harvey said. 

Her boys looked at tickets to get their mom out, but they don't think it should be the family's financial burden to make sure their mom comes home alive.

"It should be the US government flying people out for free because they're in harm's way, and it's an escalated situation," Harvey said. 

Harvey said he's talked to his mom every day to make sure she's okay and is thankful to her Israeli neighbors and the reservists for making her feel safe. "She's been texting me about five or six times a day and constantly telling me that she's safe, and she's even been updating me on her location and where she's staying in Israel," Harvey said. 

The brothers were able to get their mom on a flight home safely scheduled for next week.