This has been such an extraordinary week. We are all feeling bruised and apprehensive, and our joy is mixed with so much sorrow. But finally, finally, after such unimaginable suffering, we have been blessed to see the footage of the remaining living hostages being reunited with their loved ones. 

Of course, the raw emotion of the familial embraces, tears, laughter and spontaneous shehecheyanu prayers are matched with the grief that there are more dead hostages to be returned than living ones. 

The complexity of the moment was beautifully captured within a verse of a poem authored and read by Year 6 student, Juliette, at our October 7 memorial assembly. Juliette wrote: 

The land carries both strength and sorrow.

It endures because we do.

Even in the face of fear, we choose to stand.

We continue, not because we have healed,

But because we refuse to give up.  

The last two years have been characterised by grieving those lost, by yearning for the  hostages, by the devastating consequences of the brutal multi-front war. By the widening rifts in our community, exploding antisemitism and isolation of Israel on a global stage.  

The toll of the war has been excruciating for Israelis, Palestinians and for Jews around the world. It has been so hard to deal with the loss, the inhumanity of war and the sense of our firm domestic standing being rendered shaky.

The tentative and fragile ceasefire is such a welcome respite that allows us to look towards a brighter future. 

The last two years cannot be erased – the trauma, grief and fear will not easily dissipate. However, we can now once again begin to believe in hope, in Tikva. 

Tikva that the ceasefire leads to a true end to the war – one that allows for Israel to live in peace and cooperation with her neighbours. One that allows for all citizens to live with security and dignity.

On a domestic level we can hope that there will be an end to the undermining of the tenets of our identity. That the doxxing, cancelling, name-calling, graffiti and violence will cease.

We hope that our community’s unique and superhuman contributions to Australian culture, intellect, the arts and philanthropy will again be received with respect and gratitude. We hope that our children are afforded their rights to live, learn and play in safety.

As the simple words of the famous song by Moshe Ben Ami state:
Od Yavo Shalom aleinu, Salaam, Aleinu v’al Kol haolam

May we have peace, for us and for all people.

Shabbat Shalom
Marc Light