On October 12th I told a friend that I was cautiously ecstatic waiting and praying to the release of our last living hostages. The next day, October 13, THEY WERE RELEASED! But I was not ecstatic, I was numb. It has taken me days of reading about the hostages, watching videos of family reunions, and gathering for prayers of gratitude to gradually let this reality sink in.
Some of the videos I watched
Guy & Evayatar, best friends reunited
Hostages reunited with their families|
Elkana Bohbot’s hometown celebrating his return
Disabled father stands to embrace his son
Segev Kalfon’s family didn’t know he had survived
I felt confused by my mixed emotions. Then I read this article, Why does the joy of the hostage release feel so painful? Many things became clear to me. Yes, we have walked down a road of no return. Things are better, but they aren’t good. Jews are still reviled; anti-Semitism has increased 100 fold. Jews again know they are in danger everywhere.
BUT! I hear sermons, read articles, and watched videos that repeat the very core of Jewish teaching: Resilience. No one says, we weren’t slaves in Egypt, no one says, we have not been tormented for centuries, but the Jewish goal is not to be free from difficulty. Our sages say the goal of a Jewish life is not to be happy, but to do right. So we lift our heads and go on.
Be more kind, more supportive, more patient with yourself and those you encounter.
Chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek (חֲזַק חֲזַק וְהִתְחַזֵּק), meaning “Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened”.
Who are the hostages?
The photo at the top of this post is from this article Who Are the Hostages.
The J-Weekly also cover the 20 living hostages in this article.