Josh Scharff is a Congregation Temple Israel community member and Development Coordinator and Student Rabbi at The Daniel Centers for Progressive Judaism in Tel Aviv, Israel
Helplessness is a crippling sensation. At 6:30 am on Saturday, October 7, I looked at the faces of my neighbors gathered in the stairwell of my Tel Aviv apartment, ranging in age from elderly to newborn, and that is what I saw. As the blare of the siren rang out and we just simply waited for the inevitable boom, ideally of the Iron Dome interceptor to ring out above our heads to signal to us that we could return to our homes. Shortly after this first round, I traveled to a good friend’s home to spend the day with her and her family because they, unlike my building, have a bomb shelter. There we spent more hours feeling helpless: running to the shelter as sirens blared overhead and as report after terrifying report came in through various news sources about the events happening several dozen miles south of us along the Gaza border.
We were just five of millions of Israelis gripped by helplessness yesterday. And, friends, we were the lucky ones. Along the Gaza border, the residents of small towns and the kibbutzim were not so lucky. I will not mince words here so you may want to read through before discussing with younger readers. The towns along the border were invaded and occupied by Hamas militants. These armed men killed indiscriminately, soldier and civilian alike. They went house to house, searching for their Jewish occupants, and executing many of those they found. Others, without regard for age or sex, were taken hostage and dragged by their captors back into the Gaza Strip, their arrival a cause for celebration for many Gazans. Hundreds have been killed, dozens have been kidnapped, and dozens more are still missing, leaving their families with no knowledge of the health or whereabouts of their loved ones. We will not know the full extent of the carnage until this war comes to an end, may it be Adonai’s will that it will end soon.
October 7, 2023, will be remembered as an inflection point in Israeli history. Whatever was before will not be what comes after. Long-held conceptions about Hamas, its abilities and its desires, have been shattered. The widely held conception that Israeli communities were secure from attack because of advanced technology deployed on the borders was shattered. Most painfully, the conception that whenever an Israeli was in trouble that help, whether the army or special forces, was never too far away was also shattered as families spent eight, ten, and twelve hours locked in their shelters without electricity, calling friends and reporters begging for help – but none came.
Friends, Israel will win this war. That victory will come at a very high price, one that has already been paid by too many. As I write this the number of confirmed dead has eclipsed 1,200 and wounded nearly 2,400. I fear that many more will be lost in the days and weeks to come.
Please, friends, do not turn your eyes away from this conflict. If you will allow me, a few suggestions for how you can help:
- Reach out to your Israeli friends and family. It is a small thing, but it will mean more to them than you can know.
- Call and write your representatives to send messages of support for Israel so Congress and the government will give Israel all of the tools it needs.
- Find an organization that is gathering funds for food for soldiers and families whose loved ones have been drafted.
- The Jewish Federation of St. Louis has opened an Israel Emergency Fund to provide services and support. Donations can be made here.
While there is much fear, confusion, and pain, there is not a single Israeli who doubts that the Jewish state and the Jewish People will come out victorious from this conflict. May it be Your will, God of our Mothers and Fathers, that those who defend the people of Israel be safe from harm and may they return swiftly to the embrace of their loved ones.
יְהוָה עֹז לְעַמּוֹ יִתֵּן יְהוָה יְבָרֵךְ אֶת־עַמּוֹ בַשָּׁלוֹם׃
Adonai oz l’amo yiten, Adonai yivarech et amo va’shalom
May Adonai grant immense strength to his people, and may He bless them with peace.
