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The Hostage Situation
What Exists Beyond Thoughts and Prayers
A few days ago, Rabbi Zoe B. Zak from Temple Israel of Catskill asked me to write something for tonight’s Sabbath service — something that spoke to the hostage situation in Israel.
This gave me pause and one more opportunity to reflect — specifically on what, if anything of value, did I have to say about this great tragedy and from what persona of mine would I speak?
As member of this temple? A Jew? An American? A man? A father? A poet? A Democrat? A peace advocate? A lifelong seeker of truth?
There are so many ways to look at things, so many points of view, so many sides of the story.
At first blush, like all of you here tonight, my heart goes out to the hostages and their families. I can only imagine if it were my children who had been taken hostage… or my friends… or my parents. I have no words to describe the feelings I would be having, never having lived through this nightmare myself.
Nor do I have words to describe the feelings of the hostage-takers and what drove them to such an action in the first place.
Here’s what I know: thoughts and prayers are not enough to heal the pain that the people of Israel and Palestine are experiencing. Nor is political posturing, protest marches and…
