March 21, 2025
My heart sank this week when Israel returned to war. For two months, our hopes were lifted with the return of the living hostages and our hearts ached as we were reminded of Hamas’ brutality with the way they took the lives of the Bibas family and other hostages, and they played mind games with every hostage release. My friends and family in Israel were able to live without the threat of rockets raining down on them; soldiers and reservists were able to find reprieve from the grinding days of war. The cycle of violence continues today as Shabbat arrives in the world and the remaining hostages have not seen the light of day for 532 days.
As a rabbi and a Jewish leader, I am in a unique position where people turn to me for analysis and wisdom as if my opinion even matters. The opinions in our community about the return to war are quite diverse, some in favor, some opposed. The backdrop of this return to war is that in recent days, it has come to light that Netanyahu wants to fire Ronen Bar, head of the Shin-Bet (the Israeli security service) as he no longer trusts him. This sentiment stems from the organization’s investigations into Netanyahu’s chief aides for taking money from Qatar to boost the Qatari image ahead of the 2022. As American Jews, many of us are deeply invested in what happens in Israel and our opinions may even stem from our own domestic political viewpoints.
As time has passed, I find myself wondering if it matters what Rabbi Rick Kellner thinks about this security action or that security action. My opinion won’t change a thing and the outcomes of a single battle or political action won’t change either. Instead of speaking, I try to listen. I listen to the voices of Israelis. Yarden Bibas said this week, “Israel’s decision to return to fighting brings me back to Gaza, to the moments where I heard the sounds of explosions around me and where I feared for my life as I was afraid that the tunnel where I was being held would collapse. My wife and children were kidnapped alive and were brutally murdered in captivity. The military pressure endangers the hostages while an agreement brings them home.” His thoughts turned to the fate of his friends, David and Ariel Cunio, who are still held in Gaza.
Noa Argamani, who was rescued by the IDF in an intense mission, recalled the first time hearing the word hudna, ceasefire, in November of 2023 and people started moving and going home. When she heard the sounds of explosions again, she recalled, “Suddenly, all the dreams of going home, of hugging family and friends—shattered in an instant. The thought of seeing the light again felt so far away. One moment, the ceasefire was gone, and with it, the hope that I would get out of there alive. I’m sorry, Avinatan (her boyfriend who is still captive). I’m sorry that for 529 days, you haven’t seen daylight. I’m sorry that you were left behind. We must save them! Too many hostages who were taken alive—were murdered in captivity. We must save every living soul! This is our mission. We cannot leave them behind.”
And I also hear the voice of Rabbi Gilad Kariv, a Reform Rabbi who is a member of the Knesset said, “Hamas terrorists must be eliminated, and Israel must act against the renewed organization of Hamas. But a government that prioritizes Israel’s security does not return to intense fighting while firing the head of the Shin Bet and aggressively passing legislation that divides the nation. Above all, it does not do so while continuing to abandon our brothers and sisters who are hostages, left abandoned for 529 days. Another round of destruction and casualties won’t bring back the hostages, nor will it topple Hamas rule. The hostages will only be returned through a deal. Hamas’ rule will only be eradicated through a combination of military actions and political initiatives.” With Rabbi Kariv’s words, we truly understand the difficulty of this situation, the need to remove Hamas, the need to bring the hostages home, and the complexity of Israeli domestic politics about which we might not even understand completely.
We ask ourselves what is there left to do? As Jews, we turn to prayer; we pray for the return of the hostages, we pray for the blessing of an enduring peace, we hold compassion in our hearts for all who suffer, and we revert back to what we had done for so many months, check in on friends and family who once again feel the tension of war. May we also support each other during these difficult times.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Rick Kellner