Every day for the last 11 months, I have woken up with a weight on my chest. And today it feels heavier.
I am heartbroken to share that yesterday the bodies of six hostages were discovered and returned to Israel. They were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists, robbing them of their future and devastating their families and all of Israel.
We join with mourners around the world and send our love and support to the families of:
Ori Danino, 25, abducted from the Nova Music Festival
Carmel Gat, 40, abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, abducted from the Nova Music Festival
Alex Lobanov, 32, abducted from the Nova Music Festival
Almog Sarusi, 27, adducted from the Nova Music Festival
Eden Yerushalmi, 24, abducted from the Nova Music Festival
Over the past year, I have met several family members of hostages, and the conversations have haunted me. Many of our community members have had the opportunity to meet with Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin on solidarity missions or hear them at the March for Israel in Washington, D.C., in November or, more recently, at the Democratic National Convention, where they spoke eloquently and compassionately for all those affected by Oct. 7 and the war with Hamas.
I woke up this morning and looked at the “Bring Hersh Home” sign that has been in our window for almost a year. My family has a personal connection to Hersh as he was my daughter’s counselor when she was on the Gann Academy Israel trip less than two years ago. She was one of the many people whose lives Hersh touched and who were inspired by his vibrancy, positivity, and love of life. Hersh had many Boston friends, and his aunt and uncle are Newton residents and members of our extended Greater Boston Jewish community family.
As Rachel so bravely said two weeks ago: “In a competition of pain, there are no winners.” Today we share in her, Jon’s, and their family’s pain. We grieve together along with these hostage families, Israel, and the whole Jewish people.
This week marks the first day of the month of Elul, the month on the Jewish calendar that precedes Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It is tradition to blow the shofar—the ram’s horn—on each morning of Elul in preparation for the High Holidays. Even in the midst of our grief, the soul-stirring blast of the shofar is meant to shake us from our slumber and inspire us to mobilize and take action. Especially at a time when hope feels so elusive, we as a people need to lean into our collective resilience and strength to keep going.
As we listen for the shofar blast, please continue to call for the immediate release of the hostages and look for our invitation to join our upcoming, community-wide Oct. 7 commemoration.
May the memories of Ori, Carmel, Hersh, Alex, Almog, and Eden be a blessing.
