10 November, 2023
Day 28 – Yellow Ribbons
Friday morning we woke up to join a scheduled run for three of the hostages, who have family in Raanana.
We ran for Naama Levy, 19 years old, who was captured and taken hostage to Gaza. There’s video footage of her being bundled into a jeep, with scared eyes, clothes bloodstained.
From the website set up by her parents to bring her home, here’s Naama’s story:
“Naama was born in Israel, and raised in India where she was educated in an American school. She graduated with a diplomacy major in high school. She was raised on values of tolerance, acceptance, equality, freedom, social justice…As a young girl, Naama participated in the Hands of Peace delegation, which brings together young Americans, Israelis, and Palestinians, and nurtures young leaders to promote values of mutual understanding and the pursuit of peace as a lever for creating social-global change.”
We also ran for father and son, Ohad (age 49) and Eitan (age 12) Yahalomi.
On October 7th, Ohad made sure his family was bundled up safely in the safe room, Mom and three kids, but he knew the door doesn’t lock. Safe rooms are made for rocket attacks so there’s really no need to install a lock on the door. Ohad sat outside the safe room door armed with a gun, waiting to see what would happen next, hoping to be able to protect his family.
As the terrorists came in, Ohad wasn’t able to contain the situation and unfortunately, he was shot and injured.
Everyone was loaded onto mopeds to be taken to Gaza. Mom and two daughters on one moped, injured dad and son on another. At some point, mom and daughters managed to escape but Ohad and Eitan were taken into Gaza.
There’s no knowledge about Ohad and his condition after his injuries, just as there’s no knowledge of any of the hostages that have now been held for one month.
We ran with these hostages, and all the other hostages in mind, to show support for the families, to show them that they are not alone.
We’re thinking of them and we hold them in our hearts.
We ran past two installations the Raanana municipality put up, as a reminder and support for our hostages.
First, a wall of art, painted by local artists, depicting the situation, together with 240 empty chairs, one for each hostage.
Next is a Shabbat table, beautifully laid out for 240 people, tablecloth, candlesticks, and 240 place settings for the people who can’t come.
Hopefully, soon, they’ll be able to sit at their own Shabbat tables, surrounded by family and friends at home.
Later in the day, as I was getting ready for Shabbat, our own table about to be laid, I knew there would be one person missing. Our son, Idan, who has been in the army for the last four weeks was not going to be able to join us. In the army for the fourth Shabbat since the war started.
And then… Ivan calls me to go see something outside. I’m speaking on the phone to my mom and I ask, “Is it urgent? Can I finish my call?”
He answers gently so as not to worry me, “No. Come now.”
I go outside and start looking around. “What are you showing me?”
He leads me outside a little further and there I see our son, Idan, walking towards me. I could not believe what my eyes were seeing. No part of me had entertained the thought that Idan would be home for Shabbat and there he was! Standing in front of me! What an amazing surprise.
For the first time in four weeks, our whole family was together. What a gift, especially in these times when so many families are broken apart and we really don’t know what to expect from one day to the next.
And it’s funny how things turn out, because that Shabbat everyone was supposed to be in a different place. Ivan was meant to be in South Africa but his flight was cancelled. Lee-Elle was supposed to be in London, but was on mid-term break and decided to come home for a few days. Noalee was supposed to stay on base but was given the weekend off at the last minute, and Idan was also given a last-minute break from the army.
We all came together, by chance on the same Shabbat.
You never know what’s around the corner. This was a good thing. Hopefully, many more good things to come.
War Diaries: Day 30 – Stages of Grief
In the Jewish tradition, 30 days of mourning is a significant milestone in the mourning cycle after losing a loved one. It’s called Shloshim and counting from the massacre of October 7th, that day is today.
As you work through the stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance – you understand that it’s not a formula and it’s also not linear. You can jump around the stages. You can feel all those things in one day and then you can remain stuck in a stage for days and weeks, wondering if this is what your life now looks like forever. Some say it takes a least a year to work through the stages, but sometimes it takes even longer.
Thirty days is thought to be the time when you can feel more ready to embrace the routines of regular life and begin to try to integrate your grief with the new version of you and what your new life will be. But of course, sometimes 30 days is just not enough to do that at all.
Many in Israel are still living the nightmare. Still waiting to hear any piece of news about their loved ones that will give them some closure or certainty. Some are waiting for their loved ones, held hostage, to be released, while others are waiting to know where they are – confirmed hostage or missing or dead?
Today, day 30, was marked in Raanana, the city where I live, with a meaningful initiative to paint the town yellow, started by Maya Grunberg. Yellow is the international colour of support for hostages. It originated in 1979 when a group of US citizens were taken hostage in the US embassy in Tehran.
Maya arranged for a group of volunteers to tie yellow ribbons on cars and on street poles so that we always keep our hostages in mind and remember that our key priority is to bring them home.
We’re wearing yellow bracelets, tying yellow ribbons everywhere, hanging Israeli flags outside every house and building. Our streets, our hearts, our minds are focused on bringing our hostages home.
Still praying for safety and peace, every day.
Am Yisrael Chai 🇮🇱
