Those are words we feared we would never have the chance to say. And now, finally, after 843 days we say again, all of the hostages are home.
Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, z”l, whose body was the final one still held in Gaza, was located yesterday in a mass grave in a cemetery in Gaza City. His remains are now in Israel with a funeral scheduled for Wednesday. And so we say again, if only to convince ourselves that it is actually true, all of the hostages are home.
Since the hostages were taken on October 7, we have each carried the burden of their captivity in our own ways. We have prayed, we have shouted, we have demanded. We have worn pins, we have tied ribbons, we have left empty seats at our tables and empty chairs in our synagogues. The release of the remaining twenty living hostages several months ago marked a clear shift in the tone of these actions, but still our attention remained focused – Ad Hachatuf Ha’acharon – we would not until the last hostage was brought home.
And now that moment has arrived. While we still yearn for a true and lasting peace, we find relief and comfort in the knowledge that all of the hostages are home. The final dog tags, yellow ribbon pins, “Bring Them Home Now” shirts and sweatshirts, can all be put away.
At my own synagogue, Congregation Tifereth Israel in Columbus, OH, in addition to our prayers, our vigil has been marked by a “Bring Them Home Now” banner in front of our synagogue and by a special table in the atrium. The sign that hangs in front of our building is actually the second of its kind – the first having been destroyed in an act of arson in May 2024. For almost two years, the table was adorned with place settings as we waited for the return of the hostages and since October has had a diminishing number of candles for the murdered hostages remaining in Gaza.
With gratitude to the forces of the IDF who have brought our brothers and sisters home, the time has come to light the final yahrtzeit candle and to, at long last, take down the “Bring Them Home Now” banner marking the incredible truth that finally, after 834 long and dreadful days, all of the hostages are home.
Rabbi Hillel Skolnik, President, MERCAZ USA
