One year since the terrible October 7th of 2023. One year of the daily and sometimes nightly pain and tears for the families torn apart by murders and kidnapping. One year when a simple song such as “All we are saying is give peace a chance” at a birthday party, leaves one sobbing in a strangers’ arms. One year when the morning Haaretz news that another four or five of our best young people have fallen, leaves one breathless.

At Migwan, we are blessed to have a Rabbi who is in tune with the many emotions of the congregation, and the need to think and pray together for the kidnapped who may still be enduring the torture of a half-life in the darkness of the tunnels.

All we can do actually, is pray for them- and how powerful our prayer is when spoken in our community. We pray also for an end to this conflict which has destroyed the lives of so many, and for the young men and women drawn without question into defending Israel and giving up this year of their lives to do so. May all those kidnapped on October 7th 2023 soon be found in health and returned to their families. The suffering has to have an end.

Acheinu

אַחֵינוּ כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, הַנְּתוּנִים בְּצָרָה וּבַשִּׁבְיָה, הָעוֹמְדִים בֵּין בַּיָּם וּבֵין בַּיַּבָּשָׁה, הַמָּקוֹם יְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם, וְיוֹצִיאֵם מִצָּרָה לִרְוָחָה, וְכׇּל יֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל וּמֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹרָה, וּמִשִּׁעְבּוּד לִגְאֻלָּה, הַשְׁתָּא בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב. וְנאמַר אָמֵן.
הָעוֹמְדִים בֵּין בַּיָּם וּבֵין בַּיַּבָּשָׁה,
הַמָּקוֹם יְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם, וְיוֹצִיאֵם מִצָּרָה לִרְוָחָה,
 וְכׇּל יֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל וּמֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹרָה, וּמִשִּׁעְבּוּד לִגְאֻלָּה,
הַשְׁתָּא בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב. וְנאמַר אָמֵן.

Aḥeinu kol beit yisrael, ha-n’tunim b’tzarah u-vashivyah,
ha-omdim bein ba-yam u-vein ba-yabashah,
ha-makom y’raḥeim aleihem, v’yotzi∙eim mi-tzarah lirvacḥah,
vekol yoishvei tevel u-mei∙afeilah l’orah, u-mi-shibud lig’ullah,
hashta ba-agala u-vizman kariv, v’nomar amen.

For all our family of the House of Israel who face anguish and captivity, whether on sea or on land: may the Divine One have compassion upon them, and bring them and all innocent victims of the war from distress to relief, from darkness to light, from subjugation to redemption, now, speedily, soon, and let us say: Amen

Chava Fleming