I‘m posting this on Thursday afternoon but will be replacing it soon with a longer report and reflections — Rabbi Jon
On Tuesday I was one of 20 or so Jews from Southern New Hampshire who traveled to Washington for the March for Israel. I’m not usually a rally person like this, and I am still trying to gathering my observations and reflections to share. A number of us met with Representative Ann McLane Kuster and Senator Jeanne Shaheen. There’s much to tell, but I wanted to put something up in the meantime.
Rather than start with pictures of me and our group,
I’m linking here a video clip of three mothers of hostages held currently in Gaza speaking. It was the heart of the program, and each mother had a different thing to say, and the last one ended with a very difficult charge to us. The smallest thing we could do is to listen to their short but powerful remarks, and do something in response.
I went for Israelis I know and Israelis who are my cousins and people I know here with Israeli family, whose losses and suffering since October 7 are downplayed in many places and pitted unnecessarily against that of Palestinians.
I went for Jewish students in college who are suddenly living in environments of ongoing physical threat.
I went because the hostages and their families need us; they don’t fit into the political calculations and narratives. About 240 people are captives, Israelis and people of about 25 nations.
#BringThemHomeNow
I went because I wanted this particular gathering to include people who have not given up hope for an Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation.
