January 20, 2025

Might this be the inflection point for the beginning of healing and recovery here? That’s the philosophical question being asked today here in conversations at the breakfast table and being written about in the press.

What does that mean and what does that look like? Well, just see the imagery in the clip I’ve embedded below. The actual arrival of Romi, Doron and Emily……. into the arms of their parents and siblings and grandparents and aunts and uncles and dearest of friends. There it was again: unfolding redemption in front of the eyes of the nation.

And just perhaps redemption is a pathway to the beginning of healing and recovery. So, from which to recover. An unexpected attack for which we were not ready. We were awoken because we were sleeping. And then suddenly murder, rape and pillage. Bloodied fingers texting for help that wasn’t to come, with one hand; while the other holds the safe room door closed with all of her might to protect her children. That’s where it started and since have been the captivity, the war, the call ups, the trauma, the anxiety, the red alerts, missiles flying, the shelters, the distrust.

But seeing Romi, Doron and Emily come home, eyes still open; hugging, sitting on the laps of their mothers…. They are alive and we know that at least so are half of the others. When they come home (and painfully when the remains of ones who didn’t live come home as well) there might finally be the closure needed to start a process of recovery. Most Israelis want this deal to continue; to bring the rest of them home. And everyone is aware of the price. The price of releasing terrorists who have blood on their hands. Families today who had members killed by those terrorists are being informed that their loved one’s killers are being released. And even those families, the majority of them agree that we need to bring the remainder of the hostages home. Because that redemptive relief might allow the country to start the process of healing.

That recovery will allow for a beginning of a new normal. Will allow for a reckoning of how and why this happened, an accounting of the national soul. Not to humiliate people in blame, but to understand and make sure that Never Again really means Never Again. And of course, recovery will come with the knowledge that feels clear for most of society….. that the next part of winning this war will have to be political, as much as it has been military. Hamas is devastated and depleted but not gone. The day after doesn’t come until after we start to heal. This day may literally; and I mean literally start today.

The above is only based on three hours of being awake today and meeting with one of the more prominent Israeli journalists.

And the day continues…

We have just left the actual site of Kibbutz Nir Oz. It’s my second time seeing the devastation and I’m perhaps even more numb this time. We were taken around by our dear friends, Koren, Amit and Chen. All I can say is that what happened there is a modern-day pogrom. You will see below the burnt homes, daily activity stopped in its tracks; blood that was needlessly sacrificed and now fills the ground with their legacies. I can tell you so many stories, but the one now seared on my soul is of Johnny and Tamari and their three children. Johnny and Tamari were holding the safe room door to stop Hamas terrorists from getting in. The terrorists shot through the door; Johnny and Tamari injured badly, eventually succumbed to their wounds. Their three children witnessed it all. And then by the time the army arrived, the children had just died of suffocation. How do we know? Because their dog was alive and was with them. Just a half hour earlier, those kids would be alive. I’m sure (and I’m sorry) you can do the rest of the math and try to fathom…. I can’t! And so, what words could we find? We said Kaddish for those who died and a prayer for healing for those who survived physically and are trying to find a way to breathe again.

And finally, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you reading this far, we went back to Kiryat Gat, where the Nir Oz community is living for now. There we met with two former hostages who were released November of 2023 during the first Cease Fire. We couldn’t move listening to them speak. I couldn’t believe we were in the same room as they. They spoke with depth and with rawness. They spoke about it all as a matter of fact and simultaneously on the verge of tears. They spoke of being the lucky ones; not physically abused. But simultaneously they spoke about not being able to walk more than 72 feet at a time; about not being fed sometimes days on end; about being in tunnels that were pitch black. They spoke about the beginning of relationships made with their captors with whom they shared space. Nothing loving, but what choice do people have but to talk? They said their captors told them that October was the perfect opportunity to attack Israel; that the division politically in the country made Israel porous. They explained to their captors that once upon a time they believed in coexistence, so why kidnap them? And the terrorists made them understand that Hamas has no interest. And they spoke about their release and how they were tortured for hours never letting them think they would get out, even though they were only meters from the border. And finally, they spoke of survivor’s guilt. They can’t get over that they are free, have gained their weight back, live “normal” lives while their fellow captives are still in shackles.

I’ll end the way I began: Today may be a day of inflection. Healing and recovery may actually be starting right in front of our eyes, but it’s clear that it will only continue in momentum if the hostages are brought home. With all the complexity, this country needs them home, every single one of them.

Today was one of the most intense days of my life; I think it was for all of us. And, I have to say, I’ve had quite a few in the past 15 months. But I feel emotionally, physically and spiritually different. Perhaps, I’ll call it for now, sacred intensity. I give so much credit to this extraordinary group for their presence and witness.

Please God, may this be the beginning of recovery.

Thank you for traveling with us. We somehow feel you!

(More to come tomorrow on Kibbutz Erez….Michal Tzur was gracious and brilliant. I just need a night to breathe and process a bit more).

‘I came back alive!’: Videos show freed hostages reuniting with their mothers- Times of Israel