Just over 2 years after the horrific attacks on the Nova Music Festival and multiple Kibbutzim, where over 1,200 Israelis were slaughtered and over 250 taken hostage, we welcome the news of a complex plan to release the hostages and end the war in Gaza. We are grateful to the multiple nations and officials who have worked diligently to secure their freedom, including President Trump and his administration, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and the mediators from Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt for their negotiations with Hamas. The ability to reach a compromise between nations that are raw and ragged with the physical and emotional toll of this conflict is nothing short of a miracle.
The hostages are set to be released on Monday morning, October 13. Hopefully by the time you read this, Alon Ohel, David Cunir, Omri Miran, and the other living hostages will be safe in Israel, surrounded by their loving families and medical professionals to begin healing from their unimaginable ordeal. While we will breathe a sigh of relief once they are free, werealize this is just step one in a complex 20-step process to demilitarize and remove Hamas from governing in Gaza, ensure the safety and dignity of all Palestinian and Israeli citizens, and once again turn our sights towards the vision shared by the vast majority of Americans and those in Israel-Palestine – a democratic two-state solution and peaceful co-existence.
As we rejoice at these developments, we grieve at havingrecently learned of the terrible deaths by suicide of Yelena Giler and Roei Shalev, both survivors of the Nova Massacre. For many of us, the end of the war will mark the beginning of reckoning with the shock, anger and sadness that we have not allowed ourselves to fully feel as long as the war continued. Like so much of our history as Jews, we must embrace grief and joy together to move forward.
This also marks the beginning of a reckoning and reconciliation among the Jewish people here in our own community, state, and country. We must reclaim the term Zionism as it was initially defined – the right of Jews to self-determination, and a chance for Jews to live in their ancestral homeland. For many of us, this represents a deeply personal, spiritual and historical connectionto Israel. As Reform Jews, we hold this connection in tandem with our commitment to Tikkun Olam – healing of the world – and b’tzelehem Elohim – the recognition that every human being is made in the image of G-d, and therefore inherently worthy of dignity and respect. Zionism is not a supremacist belief, a denial of the rights of others, or permission to force others off their own land. Neither is it a carte blanche approval of the Israeli and American governments’ actions. We must continue to hold both administrations responsible for their choices in this conflict, and accountable to see their negotiations and plans through to the end. Only then will there be the possibility of lasting peace in the region.
As always, Temple Shalom is here for our members and wider Jewish community. If you are struggling to cope with the complex emotions of the Israeli-Gaza war or our region’s response to it, please reach out. There is help available for you, through our own committees and through the Jewish Federation. We must come together as a community if we are to realize the words of the prophet Micah: Nation shall not take up Sword against nation; They shall never again know war (Micah 4:3). Temple Shalom remains steadfastly committed to not just the end of the war, but the beginning of peace.