Chaverim y'karim - dear friends -

 

Today brings such a weight as Israel crosses yet another number we never thought imaginable - 700 days since October 7th ...

 

Numbers tell so much of the story - or stories - and yet belie a reality for which there is so very much exhaustion and sorrow. I am taken to Lamentations/Eicha, the scroll we read just a few weeks ago remembering the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE. Its author, the prophet Jeremiah, begins with a groan and a mournful cry and asks or states: "Eicha" איכה... which can mean both "How?" and "Why?" but also a declarative: "Look at!" or "Alas!"

 

Indeed. "How" and "Why" are critical questions for which to seek answers and yet there is the simple reality of having to acknowledge where we are.

 

Since October (2023), this resource guide of psalms and prayers has been so important with both ancient and contemporary prayers. You will find the sacred words of our heritage as a guide to direct your intentions and thoughts. Among the prayers, you will find Psalm 121 (page 3) and Acheinu (page 7). Those further links will give you beautiful music to accompany the words.

 

For reading and listening - you may consider:

 

"There will be war: The Torah pulls no punches about battling enemies, but it also tells us how to make sure we don't lose ourselves in the process (Ki Teitzei)" (5 Sept 2025) by Sarah Tuttle-Singer in The Times of Israel blogs. This is an excellent read for your Shabbat table.

 

"Deal or No Deal? Hostage Families Divided" (1 Sept 2025) on Conversations with Coleman with Coleman Hughes of The Free Press. The first hand recounting of what Israelis - and the Jewish People - are facing is important as we confront 700 days.

 

"Gaza City" (2 Sept 2025) on For Heaven's Sake. As Israel weighs an assault on Gaza City, Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi debate the IDF chief’s four-part warning—military efficacy, the fate of the hostages, a spiraling humanitarian crisis, and global isolation—and whether this phase risks tearing Israel apart. They revisit lessons from Lebanon 1982 and Yom Kippur 1973, consider if the war’s military purpose lapsed months ago, and ask whether public outrage can still halt an escalation that could endanger the hostages Israel seeks to save.

 

From the resource guide shared above, I close:

 

We pray for all those in Israel, Gaza and everywhere, Jews and Palestinians and people of all religions, nationalities and races, who are victims of violence they did not choose and hatred they do not harbor. May the Merciful One comfort and heal the wounded, bereaved, displaced or traumatized, and keep them safe from further harm. May the memories of the dead be for a blessing. May perpetrators of hate-filled violence and destruction be vanquished, and may the Blessed Holy One grant courage, strength and success to all who love kindness, practice compassion, strive for understanding, defend freedom, and yearn for a shared and lasting peace.

 

Ken y'hi ratzon - may it be God's will and may we make it our own. May it be a shabbat shel shalom, may it be a Shabbat with some measure of peace,

 

Rabbi Mark Cohn, 5 September 2025

 

To assist our brothers and sisters in Israel, there are variety of organizations in need of support. Here are a few: Leket Yisrael - Israel's national foodbank, the Society for Preservation of Nature in Israel, Rebuilding K'far Azza, and Garin Tzabar - Aliyah Program supporting lone soldiers. While we don't live in Israel, we can embrace those organizations which reflect and are developing the Israel in which we believe.