an obligation.

And in so doing, Israel will fulfill its obligation to be matir asurim, to bring every last hostage home now– not soon, not someday– now– to their loved ones and friends.

No more talking points. No more excuses. Food into Gaza. An end to the war. Bring the hostages home. Thank you.

Because we love Israel, we demand that Israel be once again oseh shalom, that it find an urgent end to this 661 day war that it didn’t start but that it has power to help bring an end to. This is not optional, and must not be contingent on the exigencies of coalition politics; it is a mitzvah-

Because we love Israel, we demand that Israel urgently poteaich et yadecha– that it opens its hands and allows international powers to provide enough food to safely feed the people of Gaza. This is not optional, it is a mitzvah– it is an obligation.

-to now granting that perhaps there is hunger in Gaza but it’s actually all the fault of the U.N. agencies that Israel barred from operating there.

Israel’s talking points on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza have moved from
-first claiming that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was an unprecedented success on day one,
-then claiming that there is no hunger in Gaza and that it is all fake news,

That is what we are doing here today– demanding that the State of Israel that I love so much does no less and no more than what we demand of ourselves, of what we demand of God.

I don’t know about you, but when I say these prayers each morning, I am speaking as much to myself as I am to the Holy One of Blessing.

I must open my hand in the world to ensure that every creature has what they need.

I must be a maker of peace.

I must free the captive.

God is the One that opens a hand and provides every creature what they need.

Each morning in prayer, we call God Oseh Shalom, maker of peace.

We call God matir asurim– freer of the captive.

Pre-ordered today from Kew and Willow books- local bookstore in Queens, NY. Can’t wait to read this important book and excited to support my local bookstore.

OMG I'm in big trouble ;)

Thanks for sharing this story… May your mother’s memory be a blessing in your life…

for the families who are a part of our Jewish family, who will never embrace their beloveds again; for unfulfilled dreams and promise, for lives brutally stolen by terrorists, we join in mourning. May their memories be a blessing.

we’ve cried tears of joy together, with them and with their families. And for this coming Shabbat, we pray that six more families will embrace their loved ones.

But today, my heart breaks, and I know yours does, too,

and we’ve welcomed some of their families to our synagogue.

And in that week when I was in Israel in late 2023, we rejoiced with the families of more than 100 Israeli hostages as they returned home. And as we’ve witnessed the return of 24 hostages in the last few weeks,

so many of us feel like we’ve gotten to know them. We may be cousins of cousins of cousins, but they feel like they are a part of our family, because they are. We know something of their lives, their stories, and their families. We’ve seen their faces on posters,