After the October 7 massacre in Israel I have not been able to get my thoughts together. There is so much to say and its hard to know where to start. I am so disturbed by the brutal massacre and mutilation as well as heartbroken by the abduction of 250 civilians. I lived in Israel for 2 years after high school. I went to a girl's yeshiva . Though it did not make me want to immediately make aliyah, it did give me a strong bond to my Jewish homeland. A few things have really stood out about Israel that have stayed with me for all of these years. In Israel there is a deep respect for older people . When I was eigtheen and went on buses in Jerusalem, if you did not stand up and give your seat to an older person there was someone religious or secular telling me to give them my seat. I have NEVER seen this anywhere else. On Israeli independence day everyone you knew or did not know would bop each other on the head with baby toy hammers. Not sure if this is still a tradition, but it was years ago. In what other country would this happen and you would not be afraid? None I have ever heard of. It was amazing to be in Israel and see Rachel's Tomb, Masada, Maarat Hamachpelah, and the kotel. All of these places I had just learned about in school had came to life. Machaneh Yehudah (the Jewish farmer's market) has the most incredible melange of produce and spices . I remember there being a pita bread oven on the premises that made the freshest most tasty pita bread I have ever eaten. When I lived in Israel it was before pita bread had been mainstreamed in the United States. Though I haven't visited Israel in years , Israel is still close to my heart. This is why what has happened there since 10/7 is most painful. I have friends and relatives who live in Israel. Watching people rip down the pictures of the Israeli hostages has been so upsetting. So many loveley people have posted pleas from their friends and relatives for their release. Many have postd videos of those who were taken hostage so we can get to know who they are. Others have posted memorial videos of those who were so tragically murdered. All of this makes me cry , but it also has made me feel closer to Israel. A few people have posted vigils of the hostage square in Tel Aviv where family members hold vigil for their loved ones who are being held hostage. The most touching is to hear them saying havdalah together at the end of Shabbos and seeing them sing shalom alechim by the Shabbat table set up for those who are held hostage. One can delude ones self living far from Israel that one does not know personally any of those who were taken hostage One of the shuls near me hosted an evening with two brave daughters of one of the hostages spoke. As it turns out one of the hostages from the Nova festival is the nephew of someone who was in my cabin in summer camp many years ago. He is also the cousin of a good friend I had when I was nine years old. I am praying for the end of this war, for peace , for the return of all of the hostages, the elimination of hamas and for peace and sefety for the Jewish people
