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October 29, 2024
Sondra Oster Baras

We have just finished celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles and it was a really special holiday.  For weeks leading up to the holiday, we were all wondering, debating, discussing, how would we celebrate the holiday, especially as it marks the one year anniversary of the terrible massacre of October 7th last year. 

While we marked the anniversary on October 7th, in truth, the attack took place on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, which this year fell on October 24th.  While the entire feast is usually a time of joy and celebration, the last day is special.  It is Simchat Torah, a day dedicated to dancing and singing with the Torah, celebrating the word of G-d that He has given to us, His people.

So how could we dance and sing with the Torah on the very day that our loved ones were murdered?  This question echoed across synagogues and communities, took up pages of commentary in local newspapers and magazines, and was the subject of lectures by great rabbis.  And while each community found its own way to navigate this difficult and complicated time, most came up with solutions that enabled the community to continue to celebrate the Torah, while setting aside a time for mourning as well.

In our community, we participated in a national project to cover one of our Torah scrolls with a special mantel, dedicated to those who fell in the past year.  The front of the mantel was embroidered with the Hebrew words Yahad Shivtei Israel, which means together the tribes of Israel.  Twelve different squares were embroidered by members of our community and embedded in the mantel, symbolizing the unity of our people.  And text was embroidered on the back of the mantel,  in memory of my nephew, Amichai Oster. 

Top: Together the Tribes of Israel

Bottom: In Memory of those who lost their lives on Simchat Torah 2023, and in the Iron Swords War

The Torah scroll with this new mantel led us in our celebrations, as we danced in the synagogue with the Torah scrolls, reminding us of the price we paid to be able to continue dancing.  We paused the dancing for three minutes of silence where we thought of our fallen, and especially of the 11 who were murdered or who fell in battle from Karnei Shomron.  In addition to the joyful songs, we also sang some quiet, mournful songs.  Two such songs stuck out in particular — one was a prayer for the release of the hostages, the other, a declaration of faith in G-d and in His promises of Redemption.  But we danced and sang, refusing to allow our enemies to quash the joy that we feel as we recount G-d’s blessings and the many miracles we have all witnessed. 

There was a special feeling of fellowship and comraderie as we celebrated the holidays this year.  We weren’t just smiling at our neighbors and greeting them with holiday blessings.  We felt bound to one another like never before.  We have all suffered during this past year and we have all relied more heavily than ever on our faith to get us through.  We are a community of faith, of caring for one another, of solidarity.  And that has given us strength, throughout the year and throughout the holidays.

As the holidays drew to a close, we were reminded that we are still at war.  In the few days since Simchat Torah, 18 soldiers fell in battle.  On Sunday, we learned that yet another soldier from Karnei Shomron fell in battle in Lebanon. 

On Saturday, the IDF attacked military installations in Iran and decimated their airstrike defense systems. It was an impressive strike and all of our planes returned home safely, but it fell short of ridding the world of the real threat from Iran — their nuclear capability.  The US was quite adamant in their messages to Israel, threatening boycott if Israel attacked the oil fields or nuclear plants in Iran.  As  the US elections loom closer, we are all wondering what the results will be and are hoping and praying that the next president will encourage and support Israel in its fight against Iran and its various proxies, instead of reining us in.

We have had a very difficult year with so many losses, but we are standing at a critical crossroads.  Israel has succeeded in eliminating Sinwar and most of the leadership of Hamas in
Gaza.  We have eliminated Nasrallah and most of the leadership of Hezbollah in Lebanon.   There are still pockets of terrorists intent on murdering as many Israelis as possible but both Lebanon and especially Gaza have experienced major, crippling destruction.  Iran is far from defeated and still has enormous capability to destroy Israel, and inflict serious damage on western countries as well as on the moderate Gulf States.  And there are still millions of Muslims in the Middle East who would love to see Israel destroyed.

If the west were to join with Israel and move with serious determination to destroy both the military and economic capabilities of radical Islam, we would lay the groundwork for a much better and much safer world.  If we demonstrate that it does not pay to attack Israel, if we can create serious deterrence backed by democracies everywhere, we can begin to change the face of the Middle East.  There are moderate voices in our area, but they have been suppressed for so long.  They must be given the confidence to raise their voices, to take back their countries and to partner with good people everywhere.  It is up to America, Europe and their allies.  This is the moment! We dare not squander the opportunity.

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