Rabbi's Week in Review Blog

We were filled with gratitude this past week at the news that four of the hostages taken on October 7 by Hamas were rescued. We continue to pray for the release of the remaining hostages still held captive by Hamas.

Yet we cannot rejoice, as the rescue came at the expense of (at the time of this writing) 274 Palestinian lives and many more injured. After being at war for so many months, it seems that the terrible status quo remains.  

While there is no good ending to this war, this war cannot come to any good. I continue to pray for, and join a chorus of rabbis who continue to demand, a cease-fire. My focus continues to be on the “and then what” — what will happen when this war does finally end, and how do we prevent the next war.

I strive for a just peace, not only for the future lives of innocent Palestinian civilians but also for the future of Israeli kids — that there will come a time when Israelis, when they come out of high school, can look forward to something other than fighting the next war.