It has been 20 days since the Simchat Torah October 7th attack on Israel when 2500 Hamas terrorists broke into Israel to commit the deadliest atrocities against Jews since the Holocaust. It has been called a pogrom, a brutal violent indiscriminate attack against Jews - men, women, children, and the elderly. Those who have witnessed the uncensored images have said they are more chilling than any other conflict that they have ever seen, including the atrocities committed by ISIS.
In the past two weeks, Israel has mobilized its reserves from across the country and world. The inhabitants of the North are bracing for a new front to open up with Hezbollah, and many towns have been evacuated. Over 200,000 Israelis are displaced. Daily rocket attacks continue to paralyze the country. The economy is being severely affected. The nation is traumatized and as Yossi Klein Halevi wrote yesterday in the Times of Israel ("Why is Israel being blamed for the Hamas massacre?"), asking “why is Israel being blamed for Hamas’ massacre?”, Israelis are beginning to consider this dangerous conflict as existential.
In the Diaspora, we continue to navigate shock, mourning, loss, fear, and anger at the media’s warping (see Halevi’s article) of the facts on the ground, even as we have a duty to pray for the civilians of Gaza caught in a war brought to them by Hamas.
The situation is both maddening and terrifying. I wanted to leave you also with a positive note that shows the spirit of unity and determination that is gripping the nation. Here is an article about Israel’s top artists going to the front to encourage the troops. Please click here for the full article, here for a music video that I found very moving, and here for the rocker Berry Sakharof singing from the psalms, “The Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps” to the troops.
Please join us for a musical Shabbat on Saturday morning, another opportunity for us to gather together, pray, sing, and connect with Israel.
Next Wednesday, at 5:30pm, we will also come together to sing Israeli songs, and share our thoughts and feelings, and pray for Israel.
Sincerely, Rabbi Adir Glick
West Suburban Temple Har Zion 1040 N. Harlem Avenue River Forest, IL 60305 708.366.9000
