Rabbi's Blog

Shalom TI Community,

Today is day 35, preparing to enter into a fifth Shabbat, since the horrible attack on Israel. It is also day 35 that 240 individuals have been held captive in Gaza. It has been 35 days that reservists have had to be away from their families and 35 days that thousands of Israelis have fled from their homes in boarder communities in both the north and the south. It is also 35 days that civilians in Gaza have had their lives upended - losing loved ones, leaving their homes and fearing for their safety as Israel responds to the attacks from Hamas.

Today is day 35 since we, here in America, outside of Israel, have felt separate from a land we love, while at the same time never feeling closer. 35 days of feeling alone among the general community while also being grateful for the support of our neighbors. And, 35 days balancing feeling helpless while continuing to do what we can.

Many people have done what they can to support those that are suffering in the face of the war between Israel & Hamas. As time goes by we need to strengthen ourselves that we will need to do some of this work for quite a while. One area that we hope we will not have to put in additional effort for very long is the hostages.

Yes, we are in the 35th day dealing with a world that is forever changed. So to, the hostages and their families are continuing to do all they can towards the release of their loved ones.

As a congregation, we have been paired with two of the Hostages to keep them in mind, even as we keep in mind all of the 240 hostages. Shiri Weiss, 53 and her daughter, Noga Weiss, 18, are being held hostage in Gaza, abducted by Hamas terrorists, when gunmen attacked Kibbutz Be’eri.
Shiri’s husband and Noga’s father, Ilan Weiss, is defined as missing. He left the house at 7:15 that morning to join the kibbutz emergency squad and hasn’t been heard from since.

Shiri is an accountant, she is always the one who organizes every family trip.

Noga loves hanging out with her friends and working with children.

As we find out more about them, we will share.

The families of the hostages have set up organizations and websites to inform people of their family members being held captive and to elicit help in redeeming them.

The overall organization is the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
They have suggested two actions. Both involve a short, 15 second phone call a day. Through the site 1 Min A Day, one can find the contact information for their Senators and Representative. There is a script on the page you can follow or you can merely state that you are calling to be sure they know that it is day ___ since the hostages have been taken and that you ask them to do all they can to have them released.
 
My friend Rachel, mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, can be seen in this video asking for a similar call to be made to the White House. When you click on this link to see the video, you’ll also see the phone number for making this call.
 
Earlier this week, I asked for people who would be able to host people coming to town for the rally or who had air mattresses for people who would stay at the synagogue. Many people responded and, right now, we have what we need. If you have volunteered as a host, I will get you specific information Sunday or Monday. If you offered an air mattress, they are not needed at this time but if a group contacts me last minute that might change.

If you are planning on attending the rally and have not yet let me know, you can do so by clicking here to email me. For those who have let me know they will be attending the rally, on Sunday or Monday, I will send to the group more details of where we can try and meet up at the rally. Some may try to meet at metro stations and others may be gathering at the Mall.
Also, if you are interested in wearing a TI t-shirt at the rally, we have a limited amount. You can purchase one on Sunday or Monday here at the synagogue.

What do we do when faced with such internal turmoil that is coming from the events of the war? We gather. We support each other. We take care of ourselves. We do what we can to help.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Werbow