January 12, 2024

By Solly Kane
President & CEO

Shalom,

Sunday marks 100 days since October 7, the day that Hamas launched their brutal attack against Israel, inciting the ongoing war in Gaza. It is hard to believe it has already been 100 days, yet it feels as if it has been far longer.

This skewed sense of time is reminiscent of the early day of the COVID pandemic. I recall reading an article then that explained why the sense of time feels strange in a crisis—during the initial days of the pandemic, everything was new and all of those new memories made time feel slow. Then, we entered a phase of repetition when we were stuck at home and each day felt the same, making time go by quickly.

The Jewish community has been experiencing an unsettling sense of time similar to the early pandemic since October 7, as we are in a state of communal crisis. In the initial days, as we read more details and learned more about the atrocities Hamas committed, time slowed down. Since then, repeatedly reading the news, witnessing increased antisemitism, and hearing painful rhetoric directed at the Jewish community and Israel have made the days blend together.

I was struck this week reading about Rachel Goldberg, whose son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, is still captive in Gaza, and her campaign to have people tape the number 100 on their chests this weekend to mark 100 days of Hersh’s captivity. I can’t imagine the pain of a parent who for 100 days has not known if their child is alive. Of course, Rachel isn’t alone, as there are, according to the IDF, still 132 hostages in Gaza, 25 of whom the IDF has confirmed as having been killed.

While we mark 100 days this weekend, next weekend, on January 19, the North American Jewish community is marking a Shabbat of Love. This Shabbat is a call for Jews to come together and celebrate, to spread love, and to lift up light and joy even amidst great pain. I hope you’ll find a meaningful way to mark Shabbat next week as part of this effort.

You don’t have to wait a week to come together though, as this weekend is Limmud Seattle. It’s not too late to join with many from across our community for communal learning on many different topics, both in-person and online.

As we head into Shabbat, it’s hard to imagine the world 100 days from now, but I know we will continue to work toward a world of love, a world of learning, and a world where the hostages are home.

Shabbat shalom,