The following is an article that I wrote, which appeared in the January 9, 2025, editions of the Washington Jewish Week, Philadelphia Jewish Exponent and Baltimore Jewish Times:
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| Hostage posters line the streets in Israel. (Photo credit: Aaron Troodler) |
It is extremely difficult to sleep through a siren. During my recent trip to Israel, I was awakened in the middle of the night on three different occasions by the wail of a siren that has become all too familiar to Israelis. After the warning of an incoming missile fired by the Houthis in Yemen roused me from my slumber shortly after 2 a.m. and I ran to the shelter in the Jerusalem building where I was staying, I looked around the safe room at the other people who gathered there in their pajamas, which included a family with two young children and another family who tried to keep their dog calm amid the tension that permeated the air. It was a stark reminder of what Israelis must contend with daily, trying to go about their lives even as enemies from near and far actively seek to destroy the Jewish state.
The next morning, while still feeling the aftereffects of having been woken up at an ungodly hour and then having to struggle to fall back asleep as I waited for the adrenaline to abate, I walked to the synagogue for Shabbat services. It only took a short while before the beautiful tefillot helped me forget the previous night’s siren, and as the entire congregation sung the various prayers, including a beautiful rendition of the prayer for the soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces, I felt spiritually uplifted and experienced a sense that everything was once again normal.
Shortly thereafter, as I walked to my daughter’s apartment for Shabbat lunch, my family and I came across a vigil for the hostages still being held in Gaza. As we passed through the large crowd, which included Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, the parents of murdered American Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, I was immediately reminded that things in Israel are not yet OK. The exuberance I had felt earlier that day in the synagogue was replaced by a sense of unease and a disconcerting feeling that life in Israel is anything but normal in our post-Oct. 7 world.
Reminders of the hostages’ horrific ordeal are everywhere. The all-too-familiar hostage posters are still ubiquitous — in the airport when you arrive in Israel and on city streets throughout the country. One sign, which was particularly powerful, had photos of two male hostages and a question in large, red Hebrew letters: What if this was your father? The message was clear: We need to do everything in our power to bring the hostages home.
At a concert that I attended in Tel Aviv featuring Ishay Ribo, the famous Israeli singer-songwriter, the largest ovation of the night came when Ribo welcomed to the stage Moran Stella Yanai, who was abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7 and held hostage for 54 days. Watching them light the second Chanukah candle together was an emotional moment which I will not easily forget.
As I contemplated the current situation and ruminated on the fact that too many of our brothers and sisters have been held captive for approximately 450 days, it was impossible not to think of the brave men and women of the IDF who put their lives on the line every day to protect Israel and its citizens. It is the IDF soldiers who are literally on the front lines and making tremendous sacrifices on behalf of Jews both in Israel and around the world. It is our soldiers who are selflessly risking everything for others.
One of the highlights of my trip took place in an unlikely location: the Ofer Prison, where terror suspects in Israeli custody are detained. My family, together with my daughter-in-law’s family and some others, helped sponsor and organize a barbecue for the soldiers housed at the base located on the prison grounds. The goal was to not only thank the soldiers for their incredible service but also to provide a bit of respite from the countless challenges they face in the course of their military duties.
As several hundred soldiers gathered on the first night of Chanukah in the large tent that serves as their dining hall, I had the privilege of lighting the first Chanukah candle and leading them in the brachot, which was followed by festive singing in conjunction with the holiday. My children helped give out cards to the soldiers that were prepared by the middle school students at my wife’s school, which were thank you cards and messages wishing the soldiers a happy Chanukah. Aside from the cards, we also distributed chocolate Chanukah gelt, a staple of the holiday.
In addition to the sumptuous feast that volunteers prepared for the soldiers, which included fresh sufganiyot, the traditional doughnuts that are consumed on Chanukah, which were fried on site, we also brought in a DJ to augment the celebratory atmosphere and enable the soldiers to further enjoy themselves. As upbeat Israeli music filled the air, we danced together with the soldiers, all of whom thoroughly enjoyed the impromptu dance party.
At the end of the evening, numerous soldiers came up to us to express their thanks for what had been a magical night. At the same time, we thanked the soldiers and offered them our deepest gratitude for everything they have done and continue to do for our people and our Jewish homeland. We exchanged hugs and heartfelt thanks and left that night feeling fortunate that we were able to give the soldiers a Chanukah gift that they truly relished.
My trip was essentially a dizzying emotional roller coaster, with the moments between concern and contemplation and pleasure and positivity waxing and waning at a seemingly frenetic pace. The fact is that witnessing the resolve of the Israeli people — whether it be soldiers, civilians or families of the hostages — was inspiring. Yes, we are still facing incredible challenges on multiple fronts. Yet the reality is that through our faith and fortitude we will ultimately prevail.
