Tonight, Yom Kippur begins, the holiest day for our people. A day of introspection, reflection, fasting, and forgiveness. When the Kol Nidre prayer resounds in the synagogues, when the streets are empty and the land falls silent, a burden weighs on us all, heavier than ever before.
Almost two years have passed since October 7, 2023, the day Hamas drenched our country in a bloodbath, the wounds of which have not yet healed. Forty-eight hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip. Likely, around 20 of them are still alive. Their fate burns deeply into our collective heart. Every name, every face, is part of us. Nearly two years of fear, despair—but also hope. Hope that they will one day return, alive, or at least in a way that brings certainty to their families. Hope that the plan by US President Donald Trump, as controversial as it is, will at least bring an end to the suffering of these people.
And yet: While we should stand united outwardly, strife and mistrust tear us apart from within. Protests against the...
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