January 27, 2026
On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we rejoice in the news that Ran Gvili’s body has been returned home. On Sunday evening, we received word that an operation was underway to recover his body from a cemetery in northern Gaza City. For the first time in 12 years, there are no Israeli hostages being held by Hamas. On October 7, 24-year-old Ran Gvili, a police officer who had been injured and was awaiting surgery, chose to jump into the fight. He fought Hamas terrorists at Kibbutz Alumim, where he was killed and taken into captivity. For 843 days, we have prayed for the return of the hostages, and now they are all home. Since October 7, we have said, “Bring Them Home,” and yesterday the IDF brought Ran home.
With thanks to social media, I saw soldiers singing “Ani Maamin, I believe with perfect faith…”—a text first written more than a thousand years ago by Maimonides—affirming our belief with perfect faith that there will be someone to come and rescue us from the depths of despair. As the brave soldiers of the IDF carried Ran’s body, wrapped in the blue and white colors of the Israeli flag, they spoke the words of Psalm 121, “Hinei lo yanum v’lo yishan, shomer Yisrael—behold, the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.” For 843 days, we called out to God in prayer with the words of the prayer for the return of the living hostages, and then for the return of the remains of those who died in captivity or were killed and then captured. Our prayers have been answered; they are all home.
I often wonder about the complexity of the coincidences that occur in certain moments. This week, we read in the Torah as the Israelites were preparing to leave Egypt: “And Moses took with him the bones of Joseph, who had exacted an oath from the children of Israel, saying, ‘God will be sure to take notice of you; then you shall carry up my bones from here with you.’” (Exodus 13:19) Before his death, Joseph did not want to be left behind. He wanted to be with his people. These words echo within the heart and soul of every Israeli, of every Jew. We have seen that our people will do all we can to bring home those held in exile.
I learned of the news early yesterday morning as I got off the Peloton. As I prepared for my day, I looked down at my dog tag and yellow pin and, with a tearful smile, said to myself, “I don’t have to put this on anymore.” I have worn that dog tag since I returned from Israel in May 2024, and it has been a daily reminder that the hostages and their families remain ever so close to my heart. On our bimah, we have had a visual symbol since October 7, 2023. During services this Shabbat, we will take out the last kalanit (poppy flower) from the vase and return it to the garden outside our sanctuary. We will take down the sign that reads, “Until the Last Hostage,” and remove the table. Even though the visual signs are gone, our connection to the Jewish people will remain in our hearts. The holes left from the pins will be an eternal reminder of our pain and suffering, but also of our resilience and hope. While the pages are turning on this chapter in our people’s history, we know that there is still much healing that needs to happen. Our prayers are with the Gvili family, all those who still grieve loved ones lost in these last two years, and those who bear the burdens of the pain they carry from their time in captivity. The healing work can now finally begin.
As we move forward, there are deep questions that the Israeli people can now begin to ask as they build toward the future. May Ran’s memory always be for a blessing.
With blessing,
Rabbi Rick Kellner