Associated Press photo, Hatem Moussa
Israelis waking up on the morning of the festival of Simchat Torah found themselves under attack.
The Hamas government in Gaza launched thousands of rockets in Israeli cities and towns and sent
fighters across the border to attack, kill and kidnap Israeli civilians and soldiers. So far, hundreds of Israelis are dead, more than a thousand injured, and hundreds of thousands displaced to bomb shelters or other safe places. Palestinian casualties mount as well.
As bad as the situation is now, much worse lies ahead. The Israeli public and government will demand a counterattack on Hamas. When it comes, thousands of Palestinians –
fighters and civilians alike – will die, tens of thousands will be injured and hundreds of thousands will be driven from their homes. Many Israeli soldiers will lose their lives as well, and Israeli civilians will continue to suffer under Hamas’s continuing rocket attacks.
This is a time of sadness, not “simcha” (joy). In place of our planned Simchat Torah celebration, I am inviting those interested to join one another on Zoom – bit.ly/NafTorah – for a check-in and conversations about the situation and what we can do about it.
Rabbi David
