The High Holy Days have become a profoundly sensitive time for Jews worldwide. The massacre carried out by Hamas on Simchat Torah, October 7, 2023, was deliberate and meticulously planned. Simchat Torah is meant to be a time of joy, celebration, and community; attacking Israel on this holy day was a symbolic act intended to violate something sacred to us. It sent a chilling message: Even in our moments of worship, family, and happiness, Jews are not safe.
Today, these holidays, particularly while hostages remain in captivity, carry mixed and intense emotions. On one hand, they bring up guilt and grief, knowing that some families in our community are forced to spend what should be a joyous time, aware that their loved ones are being deliberately starved in Gaza.
