בְ דָ ה תִּ קְ וָ תֵָא
( Six million , of course .)
We have not lost our resolve . But our energy for battle ?
Can one lose what one never really had ?
And then 1,200 all at once , on October 7th . And with those 1,200 , our confidence in our army , and maybe the loss of Anne Frank ’ s belief in the essential goodness of people .
And some of us , though we are here saying yizkor , have lost our faith . ( Though , ironically , we pray for its return .)
We lose weighty things : The moment , Our temper , Our sense of self , World support . Even our sanity .
And hostages , So many loved ones gone astray , With no trace .
And hope ?
Our national anthem , Hatikvah , says :
ע וֹ ד ל ֹ א נ וּ “ Our hope is not yet lost .”
We cling to this hope , but how long until we lose that , too ?
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