Remembering, Succot and hope for a new tomorrow

 

6^th October 2025

One more day and it is 2 anguished years

 

I wish you a good Succot, or the feast of Tabernacles. What is a tabernacle? What is a Succah. Is it just another opportunity to hang decorations from the temporary roof, to shake a palm leaf and turn a citron? Perhaps, after the ghastly horror of the last two years and the recent jolt of the deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue it is a reminder of our frailty. Our impermanence, our tenuous existence, hasn't been as clear and disturbing for many generations. Perhaps another aspect of the building of a succah is to remember that we must appreciate permanence and not turn comfort into complacency.

 

If there is just one video that encapsulates the entire situation, in this case the UK, but one can basically replace Britain with virtually every and any other country, it is this report from Julia Hartley-Brewer which says it all. https://youtu.be/9CGaF0NzKm0?si=bwXuYQVBdhenp_oo

 

Her words echo throughout the world. I just want you to understand the numbers, cold, cruel numbers. Tomorrow is the anniversary of the 7^th of October, the worst and cruellest attack on Jews for 80 years. Since then- 913 soldiers killed; 1,059 killed on October 7^th; 37,500 missiles launched on Israel; 30,000  injuries; 300,000 miluimnikim (volunteer soldiers); 143,000 people evacuated from their homes; 10,000 people injured in terror attacks and of course 48 hostages still held under horrific conditions under Gaza.

 

As yet again our hopes are raised to bring the hostages home, both those that have hung on to life, again I use the word tenuous to describe their physical and psychological state, to describe Israelis of all creeds and our tsunami of emotions, to understand that it takes a strong, quixotic and dangerous man to bring about a change rather than a kindly and gentle man – gentle doesn’t work in war. Trump is probably not a particularly nice person, but that very fact might just change our entire region for the better.

 

I ask you all to pray that all of the below will come home. Say Tehilim (Psalms) or just do it in your own way, but please, if you have never prayed before, do it now. I am certain that Steve Witkof will be praying that his efforts, his heroic efforts, will pay off. Another worker for peace, although with little recognition

 

Alon Ohel

Ariel Cunio

Avinatan Or

Bar Kupershtein

Bipin Joshi

David Cunio

Eitan Horn

Eitan Mor

Elkana Bohbot

Evyatar David

Gali Berman

Guy Gilboa Dalal

Matan Angrest

Matan Zangauker

Maxim Herkin

Nimrod Cohen

Omer Neutra

Omri Miran

Rom Braslavski

Segev Kalfon

Tamir Nimrodi

Yosef Ohana

Ziv Berman

Amiram Cooper

Arye Zalmanovich

Asaf Hamami

Daniel Perez

Dror Or

Eitan Levy

Eliyahu Margalit

Guy Iluz

Inbar Hayman

Itay Chen

Joshua Mollel

Lior Rudaeff

Meni Godard

Mohammad El Atrash

Oakkharasr Sonthaya

Ran Gvili

Rinthalak Sudthisak

Ronen Angel

Sahar Baruch

Tal Haimi

Tamir Adar

Uriel Baruch

Yossi Sharabi

Hadar Goldin

 

I wish you a safe and happy Succot; A safe and happy Tabernacles Festival. Please don’t forget that just a short time ago it wasn’t a synagogue that was attacked, it was an LDS church.

 

A brighter future is within reach. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Turkey, UAE, and so many countries in our region, even Syria, want to join the movement for peace. It may take time, it certainly needs re-education, but then you already know that Impact-se has that aspect in hand!

 

Israel will heal, slowly, gradually, when we see all of the above named home and we never, ever hear the dreaded words “hutar le persum” allowed for publication, again, when a soldier has died in battle. I hope, I have hope, it is not by accident that “The Hope” Hatikva is our national anthem.

 

I just found this song which fits Jew and Christian alike! It’s a happy Succah song!! https://youtu.be/nZECFcPZP4c?si=tgt0pUasCDDIw7Rg

 

Above all else we must stick together, we the rational majority mustn’t be silent. Stand by Me, by Ben E King. https://youtu.be/hwZNL7QVJjE?si=gWERc7WHLHAyPPvw

 

People from the Southern Border, most of whom had to leave their homes, those who still had homes; had to leave their families, those who still had families, and came together to sing. Koolulam, bringing people together in song and in hope for a better tomorrow. “Everything here will change from tomorrow” https://youtu.be/hptZdP_hulY?si=Vp8rEmII4a9JmSRO

 

Sending love to you all. Having come back from two days in Eilat I truly aapreciate Jerusalem weather as well as her spirituality and beauty.

Sheila