At times it felt to me that what we went through in just one of these last 365 days, could be enough to fill a whole year for a person living in an ordinary world. And in general, the definition I gave myself this year is: “I am a normal person living in an abnormal reality.”
October 7, 2023 is a day engraved on the heart of Israel, in the hearts of Jews everywhere, and in the hearts of the multitudes who have stood with us from among the nations.
The seventh of October was a day when reality changed. Astonishment, deep sorrow and impossible pain permeated every house in Israel. We could literally feel the collective heartbreak within each and every one of us. This heartbreak continues to accompany us at all times since then, especially since there are 101 more of our brothers and sisters who have not yet returned to us from captivity.
We remember the victims and heroes, each and every one who left a mark of courage and determination that will never be forgotten. This day now joins quite a few fixed memorial days that already exist in the Hebrew calendar, such as Holocaust Remembrance Day, Memorial Day for fallen soldiers, “Tisha B’Av” to commemorate the destruction of the Temple, Memorial Day for the murder of Yitzhak Rabin, and a few more. Heartbreaking movies are being shown on TV, none of which have a happy ending. Sad and touching songs are playing on the radio. A familiar note of sadness throbs in the heart. And the question that keeps nagging at me is:
Why is it only in days of sadness and remembrance that the feeling of unity is so strong?
Why doesn’t it happen on any old weekday, a simple and ordinary day so boring that the news is only about the weather? And how did it happen that the only day bearing the name joy, “Simchat Torah,” also became a day of pain and sadness, a day of remembrance for all time?
This year I realized how life changes suddenly. One day you get up and everything is festive, and the next day everything is dust and ashes. The world has turned upside down and so have we.
No one is the same.
Many poignant slogans are being posted on social networks. The most prominent among them is: “A year ago on 6.10.23 we went to sleep with a quiet heart for the last time.”
Today, October 7th is already here again. A whole year has passed. Agony still pierces the heart. One should be allowed to cry and fall apart. Because this pain is also the sign of being present, living, breathing and remembering. And alongside the great pain we are also trying to hold on to hope, hope that is the driving force of our people. Along with great pain, Israel always had a ray of light that leads us forward. Hope springs from the desire to continue, build, create and live. Strength lies in this hope and the ability to be creative, smart and persistent.
Our hope is not lost yet, and this motivates us to get up every morning and live for a better future for ourselves and our children. Hope, at its peak, is reflected through unity. Today, the entire nation unites in memory and pain, but also in the shared sense of responsibility to strengthen ourselves and those around us. We are a small nation, but one big heart beats in us. This year many people came closer to one another and discovered the power of unity and brotherhood. In the last year we have seen so many hands extended with no need for words. Our strength is in this unity. The citizens whose lives were suddenly cut short and the soldiers who fell in defense of the homeland lived this spirit of hope.
Their heroism will never be forgotten! Their memory is the torch that leads us forward. From their memory hope is born. We remember in order to get stronger. We unite in order to heal, and we hope in order to continue. The struggle is not only for our lives here and now, but for future generations. Because at the end of the day, hope and faith will triumph.
And finally, I would like to place here the words of a song published today:
And all that’s left is to hold on to hope
May flowers return to bloom in our hearts
May the sun peek through the gray clouds of this time
May we learn and gain wisdom from the mistakes of the past
May they return home in peace
All our sons and daughters in captivity
And those fighting for life.
AM ISRAEL CHAI!
