Starting Over

M'Breishit ( From the Beginning)

13.10.25 Monday Hoshana Rabbah 9:00 Have been watching special broadcast since 6:30 a.m.Still waiting to see the hostages turned over to Israeli forces. My stomach is in knots. For the past few days have been feeling cautious. All that came to mind were those hostages who didn’t make it. Or maybe they’ve been dead for a long time. How can we forget the 1,200 who were slaughtered on that terrible day, whole families decimated, children orphaned, homes burned to the ground, thousands evacuated to safer havens, indefinitely A whole nation, an entire people, held hostage for two whole years. How uncanny, to the very day of Simchat Torah. No, not October 7th....

Huge celebrations in place. Highways lined with well wishers. I just hope the released won’t be overwhelmed by all the revelry. I fear they will be flooded with gifts and goodies. Understandably their loved ones are so thrilled and relieved. While watching this my hear skips beats. Things are running late, anything and everything can happen. It won’t be over until it’s over. The tension is unbearable. I find myself in nesting mode going around the apartment cleaning, wiping, dusting, preparing for winter perhaps.

11.a.m. All live hostages have returned.

Thursday, 16.10.25

It is not over until it is over. Hamas is playing games, not unexpectedly. Bodies have been trickling in 2,3,4, at a time. One was even of a Palestinian collaborator who had been dressed in an IDF uniform. Another one was Daniel Peretz who was buried last night at Mount Herzl. His soldier. Matan Angrest, who had only just been released, was permitted to attend the funeral and deliver a eulogy. On a macabre note, one of the released terrorists returned to his Jerusalem home in Tzur Baher, a neighbouring village to my East Talpiot (Armon HaNatziv) residence. What a comforting thought, eh?

The returnees by and large look far better than anticipated. Most look fit, if not gaunt but in good spirits. Of course the initial euphoria will soon subside. They will still need a long course of rehabilitation to reenter society, get back to life, reality, responsibilities, jobs, families. They will likely forever be coddled by their immediate family members, for life, and that is understandable.All those who have endured this nighmare include the family members themselves who suffered through two whole years of uncertainy with little to no knowledge of the welfare of their kin, be they a son, daughter father, mother, grandparent, cousin or friend.

So much energy, so much effort, was spent in worldwide campaigns for the safe release. Two impossible years of hell, vacillating between hope and despair, mental torment. What resilience it must have demanded. Most carried themselves with endless composure and patience, even grace under fire.

I cut the ribbons off my purses and car windows. I feel I was a bit hasty. We still await more deceased, more who didn’t make it, or were not even given the chance, as they were gunned down on October 7th. This Shabbat we start to read the Torah all over again, from the beginning, Bereishit.

I hope we can now turn over a new leaf, start afresh. I hope the discourse will turn to other matters. A new theme, so that we can go on living now and into the future, and put this awful chapter well behind us Even with all the reminders, many of the hostages’ photos still grace bus stops and other available walls and areas, the yellow ribbon pin still worn by some.

Shabbat Shalom