The Redeeming Power of Israel Rabbi Sid Schwarz
Everything about 10 / 7 felt surreal . Was it really possible that hundreds of Palestinians crossed the Gaza border with murderous intentions without meeting any resistance from Israeli forces ? Were the reports of atrocities really true ? Did Hamas really take over 200 Israelis back to Gaza to hold as hostages , including civilians , the elderly , and even babies ?
I consumed as many news reports as possible , somehow hoping that the reports were exaggerated , a result of the “ fog of war ” and , perhaps , some desire to spin the stories to win over international sympathy . No such luck . If anything , reports continued to uncover information that was ever harder to comprehend , especially after the first release of hostages took place in November 2023 .
My first post 10 / 7 trip to Israel was in late March , 2024 . I felt a need to do something . To stand in solidarity with my Israeli sisters and brothers . I turned down opportunities to go on briefing tours for community leaders . Instead , I signed on for a service mission sponsored by Adamah which would allow me to provide some desperately needed labor on a kibbutz . In the late afternoon and evenings , we had a chance to do some site visits to better understand the challenges facing Israelis .
Often overshadowed by coverage of hostages being held in Gaza , over 100,000 Israelis living near the Lebanese border had to leave their
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