\\u00a0A month has passed since the horrific mas<\\/a>sacre<\\/a> of Oct 7th<\\/sup>, 2023, in Israel.<\\/h2>\\n \ Yesterday a dear woman asked me\\u201d What has it been like for you this past month.\\u201d<\\/p>\\n \ I replied with no hesitation\\u201d Like it is Oct 7th<\\/sup> every day.\\u201d.<\\/p>\\n A month has passed since the horrific massacre<\\/a> of Oct 7th<\\/sup>, 2023, in Israel.<\\/p>\\n For me, every day feels like it is still Oct. 7th<\\/sup>.<\\/p>\\n My days have no names,<\\/p>\\n Sunday, Tuesday they are all mixed into one day, Saturday, that black Saturday<\\/a>.<\\/p>\\n In the Jewish faith, we have very precise traditions when it comes to mourning.<\\/p>\\n Amongst them is something called the Shloshim,<\\/a> the 30th day after the loss of a loved one.<\\/p>\\n Yet, like so many Israelis and Jews, I feel as if I am sitting in an endless Shiva<\\/a> the 7 day mourning period after death.<\\/p>\\n And yet somehow the rest of the world has moved on.<\\/p>\\n \\u00a0<\\/p>\\n

{"id":1565,"date":"2023-11-08T22:14:05","date_gmt":"2023-11-09T03:14:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/onemomentofjoy\/?p=1565"},"modified":"2023-11-09T09:40:44","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T14:40:44","slug":"the-hostages-held-by-hamas-must-come-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/onemomentofjoy\/2023\/11\/the-hostages-held-by-hamas-must-come-home\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hostages Held By Hamas Must Come Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0A month has passed since the horrific mas<\/a>sacre<\/a> of Oct 7th<\/sup>, 2023, in Israel.<\/h2>\n \ Yesterday a dear woman asked me\u201d What has it been like for you this past month.\u201d<\/p>\n \ I replied with no hesitation\u201d Like it is Oct 7th<\/sup> every day.\u201d.<\/p>\n A month has passed since the horrific massacre<\/a> of Oct 7th<\/sup>, 2023, in Israel.<\/p>\n For me, every day feels like it is still Oct. 7th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n My days have no names,<\/p>\n Sunday, Tuesday they are all mixed into one day, Saturday, that black Saturday<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the Jewish faith, we have very precise traditions when it comes to mourning.<\/p>\n Amongst them is something called the Shloshim,<\/a> the 30th day after the loss of a loved one.<\/p>\n Yet, like so many Israelis and Jews, I feel as if I am sitting in an endless Shiva<\/a> the 7 day mourning period after death.<\/p>\n And yet somehow the rest of the world has moved on.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n

As a Jewish Israeli-American, while I was still attempting to hold the grief, pain, and terror, Antisemitism<\/a> came knocking at my door.<\/h2>\n \ The world has permitted antisemitism, and hatred of Jews, to have a platform, one that we have not seen since Nazi Germany.<\/p>\n \ This began just days after the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust.<\/p>\n As a Jewish Israeli-American, while I was attempting to hold the new grief, pain, and terror, Antisemitism<\/a> came knocking at my door.<\/p>\n Scenes that had occurred during the Nazi regime were now happening in the United States<\/a>, Europe<\/a>, Canada<\/a> and Australia.<\/a><\/p>\n I am and have been a peace activist for 50 years.<\/p>\n Just as most of the people that were slaughtered were. \u00a0As well as those taken hostage on Oct 7th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n I have worked closely with Palestinians, together hoping to bring peace to both people.<\/p>\n It has been my life mission, hoping my children and grandchildren would play side by side with Palestinians.<\/p>\n However, when civilian Jews are attacked around the world just because they are Jews it is not bringing peace or freedom to anyone.<\/p>\n Although, I am a proud Jew and Israeli I am mostly a proud human.<\/p>\n I am on the side of humanity.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n

I am out giving voice to those that cannot be heard.<\/h2>\n As a spiritual counselor<\/a>, I know how hard it can be to build resilience.<\/p>\n I myself have struggled this last month between moments of enormous heartbreak and moments of strength.<\/p>\n When someone tells me they are feeling helpless I suggest going out and doing.<\/p>\n Turn helplessness to helpfulness.<\/p>\n It builds up resilience.<\/p>\n So, I listened to my own advice.<\/p>\n I am out giving voice to those that cannot be heard.<\/p>\n In the name of the many precious whole families<\/a> that were tortured and slaughtered.<\/p>\n And the precious hostages<\/a> that are being held by Hamas<\/a> terrorists.<\/p>\n Among those sitting in the dark underground tunnels of Gaza is my dear friend Vivian Silver<\/a>.<\/p>\n I run weekly in Central Park for the Family Forum of Hostages and Missing.<\/a><\/p>\n And rally a few times a week for the release of over 240 hostages.<\/p>\n Amongst them 30 children who have forgotten what sunlight looks like.<\/p>\n \ Photo -Liri Agami<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAs I close my eyes, I hear her voice whisper:Don\u2019t give up on peace.<\/h2>\n \ I listen to those who still have hope that this horrific time will end.<\/p>\n \ My heart hears their strong faith that peace is possible.<\/p>\n \ Evil will lose and love will win.<\/p>\n \ Through the heavy fog of grief and sorrow, I must still believe.<\/p>\n \ Every night as I enter my bed, I softly say goodnight to my friend Vivian.<\/p>\n \ I let her know that we are not giving up, we will bring them all home.<\/p>\n \ As I close my eyes, I hear her voice whisper:<\/p>\n \ Don\u2019t give up on peace.<\/p>\n \ \u00a0<\/p>\n \ There are 242 precious souls being held hostage by Hamas.<\/strong><\/p>\n \ \u00a0Among them is my dear friend VIVIAN SILVER.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \ I know they want us to keep our smile alive for when they return.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \ \u00a0 \u00a0A month has passed since the horrific massacre of Oct 7th, 2023, in Israel. Yesterday a dear woman asked me\u201d What has it been like for you this past month.\u201d I replied with no hesitation\u201d Like it is Oct 7th every day.\u201d. A month has passed since the horrific massacre of Oct 7th, 2023, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4768,"featured_media":1574,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[321,1],"tags":[168,437,330,148],"class_list":["post-1565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-israel","category-uncategorized","tag-antisemitisim","tag-hamas","tag-israel","tag-peace"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Hostages Held By Hamas Must Come Home<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\" \u00a0A month has passed since the horrific massacre of Oct 7th, 2023, in Israel. 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