It is so hard not to make this political. It is so hard not to make this about Bibi or Mamdani, the right or the left, the protests and the universities, the terrorists and the war, AIPAC and J Street and JVP. It is so hard to avoid a call for this stance on Israel or that understanding of obligation.
My rabbinic brain wants to quote Talmud at you or help you feel the spark of connection. My human brain wants to create meaning out of the tragedy, to find a “why,” to give the moral of the story. And, most days, to avoid those things would be irresponsible. To avoid learning lessons and improving security and seeking an end to conflict and building bridges of understanding and working for a better future… all the things.
But not today. Today we remember.
We remember the people whose stories have become a part of us:
Peace activists: Vivian Silver and Hayim Katsman…
Civilian kibbutz guards: Tal Eilon, Saar Margolis, and Gil Buyum…
Arab and Bedouin Israelis: Osama Abu Asa and Awad Darawshe…
Thai farm workers: Thawatchai “Seng” Saetao and Sonthaya Oakkharasri…
Hostages: Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the Bibas family, and Noa Argamani…
…and so many more…
Today we remember without everything else. Friday we will remember them with dignity and honor at our Shabbat service. And every other day we will return to the work of building a future worthy of their memory.
