The families of the hostages set up an empty Shabbat table in Tel Aviv. The picture is haunting. 200 seats, each for one hostage that will not be at their Shabbat table tonight.
Every day that passes, it is their presence and not their absence that gets stronger. Driving around Los Angeles, thousands of miles away, their pictures hang on lamp posts, on bus stops, and are projected on buildings.
Noah built an ark to remove himself from the destruction of the world. He could not see what was happening. Instead, he needed to send a raven and then a dove. We do not have that luxury.
We can see exactly what is happening. We can feel what is happening. And we must do something. Over the last two weeks, the Sinai Temple Israel Center has mobilized our community to help in every way possible; our supplies that we packed are now on the front lines, we are being educated by experts in the field, we are advocating on behalf of the state of Israel, and we are teaching our children to stand strong for good over evil. Each one of us must be that dove, that sees the hope for dry land, that comes back to Noah with the promise of finding a glimmer of hope in the world because of what we do together as a community.
