Today is a day of hope and, we pray, the beginning of healing for the hostages, their families and all of Israel.
Through 18 major Jewish holidays and 105 Shabbat dinners, Jewish families in Israel and around the world had empty chairs at our tables and fractures in our hearts. For each of those 1 million minutes, the Jewish people were incomplete without them.
This past Shabbat we read from Ecclesiastes, which states that to everything there is a season. For 737 days, it has been a time to weep. Today begins a time to heal, as the 20 surviving hostages come home to their loved ones and finally fill the empty chairs at our tables and begin mending our broken hearts. Jewish Federation of Louisville joins the global Jewish community in breathing in this long-awaited moment of relief and joy, standing in solidarity with the families and the people of Israel.
We welcome the long-awaited return of:
Matan Angrest
Gali Berman
Ziv Berman
Elkana Bohbot
Rom Braslavski
Nimrod Cohen
Ariel Cunio
David Cunio
Evyatar David
Guy Gilboa-Dala
Maxim Herkin
Eitan Horn
Segev Kalfon
Bar Kupershtein
Omri Miran
Eitan Mor
Yosef-Chaim Ohana
Alon Ohel
Avinatan Or
Matan Zangauker
We also mourn the loss of 28 people who faced down Hamas with heroism and bravery but did not survive captivity, whose bodies are expected to return home in the coming hours and days. We pray for their families and loved ones to be able to give them the proper burial they deserve. May their memories forever be a blessing.
We honor the resilience of the hostages and their families and continue to pray for all whose lives have been shattered by terror. We also take this moment to recognize the enormous sacrifice and service of Israel’s soldiers and their families during this horrific period. We mourn the loss of 1,152 soldiers who died as they used every fiber of their being to successfully to bring the hostages home.
We are grateful to the negotiators whose tireless efforts made this day possible. May this moment mark the beginning of comfort and renewal for Israelis and Palestinians, and Jewish people everywhere. Though the road will be long and difficult, we pray that all people in the region can live in safety and peace.