Dear Friends, 

When my husband and I realized that we spoke about current events too much at home, we designed an ice cream/beach/shopping nine-day summer getaway to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv for our family. Our goal was to show our daughter that after October 7th, Israel is safe and the people there are living their lives.  Before we left, we warned her over and over again that it would be extremely hot every single day, which it was.  We did not have the elimination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, as we were flying to Israel, on our Bingo card. Thankfully it did not impact our trip too much. Our daughter did not know about it until after we returned home.

We were able to accomplish nearly everything we set out to do on the itinerary we created. We volunteered at Pantry Packers, and packed food staples for food-insecure Israelis. We walked through water in Hezekiah’s Tunnel in the City of David. We made sure to go shopping in both the Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv Shuks. We went to the beach a number of times in the late afternoon, once it cooled down a smidgen. We visited Shirel Barkan-Slater and her family on their kibbutz. We spent hours in the Anu Museum in Tel Aviv. And of course, we ate countless falafels and ice cream cones and drank gallons of water. 

There was only one thing that did not happen. We had planned for the morning that we went to Hezekiah’s Tunnel, to start off at Ezrat Yisrael, the Masorti Kotel, and hopefully join an egalitarian minyan. Only, when we arrived, there was not a soul down there. I had expected to see my colleague Rabbi Sandra Kochman, who organizes minyanim for tour groups and B’nai Mitzvah, but the plaza was totally empty. 

Of course, I was disappointed, but this set the tone for what we were to see for the rest of the trip. While there are foreign volunteers all over the place, there are virtually no tour groups in Israel right now.  Hotels are full, but they are full of Israelis who scrambled last minute to change their vacation plans, as there are so few airlines arriving and departing from the country right now. 

And while there are late-night joggers and people playing beach volleyball once it cools down, and the bars and synagogues are full, it still feels like it is October 8th in Israel. It felt that way when I was in Israel in December and March too. Ever the optimist, it did not sit well with me to still feel that way in August.

The most profound thing my daughter said to me during our time away was, “Ima, the difference between Toronto and Israel is that in Israel nobody takes down the hostage signs”. She was right. Ten months later, there are yellow ribbons and hostage posters everywhere. We saw them at the beach, at the entrance to Shirel’s kibbutz, at the Kosher Burger King (where I had a plant-based Whopper!) and on every highway overpass. The events and aftermath of October 7 cast a shadow over every aspect of Jewish life. We felt it the most when we attended the ceremony marking Ariel Bibas’ 5th birthday at Hostage Square with thousands of Israelis from all parts of society. Ariel and his baby brother Kfir and their parents are still being held hostage in Gaza. May they be brought home alive, speedily.

If you have looked for one, then you know it is not so easy to find a morning egalitarian minyan in Israel. I felt so deflated that morning when we realized there was no minyan to join. My kavanah was gone. So instead of a full morning tefillah, my husband and I sat down on a platform, and from memory recited the prayer for Israel. We stared at the ancient rocks and said the following: 

Avinu Shebashamayim, Rock and Redeemer of Israel, 
Bless the State of Israel, the start of flowering of Redemption
Shield it with Your love
Spread over it the shelter of Your peace
Guide its leaders and advisors with Your light and Your truth.
Establish for them Your good counsel.
Strengthen the hands of the defenders of our Holy Land
Cause them to inherit, our God, deliverance
Place the crown of victory upon them
Give the land peace
And everlasting joy to its inhabitants
And let us say, Amen. 

May the hostages be returned home and may peace fill the earth as the waters fill the sea. 

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Fryer Bodzin