Tag: Hostage

The Journey Begins

On By thestampsinmypassportIn Israel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

As Maria sang in Sound of Music, the opening words to Do Re Mi, “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start”. I thought I would start my posts about my trip to Israel at the beginning, the arrival into Ben Gurion airport.

This was my third time in Israel. On my first trip I remember talking to people and most people told me the same thing about arriving into Israel. They made comments like, ‘it feels like coming home’ or ‘you will feel like you have been there before’ or, ‘you will feel different as soon as you land’ and more than one person said, ‘don’t be surprised if you see people kissing the ground when you arrive.

Arriving this time was going to be different than the other times. If you have been to Israel, you know that once you land, you walk through this large arrivals walkway into the customs hall. This hallway is a big open space, flanked by the beautiful Jerusalem stone colours, artwork and the largest Mezuzah you have ever seen as you enter the customs hall.

After October 7th, this hallway changed. Posters of over the 250 kidnapped hostages flanked the entrance hall to the airport. They became a part of the airport terminal as a reminder to travellers of the hostages still being held in Gaza. They were often personalized with how many number of days they were being held in captivity. They were there both on arrival and departure as a reminder as the first thing you see as you enter the country and the last you will see before you leave Israel. The posters were updated over the days, with individual posters removed only when the hostages were either released, rescued or their bodies recovered.

I found out I was going to Israel in January. At that time, there was only one poster left in the entrance hall. That poster was of hostage Ran Gvili. Ran was held captive for approximately 843 days until his remains were returned to Israel. At the time, I was thinking about arriving and walking through that hallway with only one poster left.

My arrival was different, as the hallways were clear of posters and open for all who are going ‘home’ to enter with an open heart and mind. As I was walking through the hallway a friend looked back at me and said and commented about taking it all in. Yes, I was thinking about all of those thoughts that people told me on my first arrival in Israel and how true all of those statements were then and are today.

The arrivals hallway posters are not up any longer, but the memories of the hostages are not forgotten to the people of Israel. Their memories are all over the country in many different ways.

Thank you for coming along this journey with me. I look forward to sharing it with you.

Am Israel Chai

Day 331:

On By thestampsinmypassportIn Uncategorized1 Comment

For 331 days, Rachel Polin Goldberg has spoken to us like family, and we listened. Just a few short days ago she stood with other hostage families and screamed out to her beloved son Hersh, can you hear me? We are here! We are not going anywhere.

Today her screams fell silent. She has been reunited with her beloved 23 year son Hersh, but not in the way she had so desperately hoped. Her and the other five families each have their own story of hoping their chapters would end in different way. Their pain is all of our pain. This pain is the pain of our generation. They will now have to be separated again, by burying their loved ones and truly being their unfathomable grief.

I was talking to a friend today who put it into perspective. We are in mourning for people we have never met. In Israel, you probably can’t go far without someone have a family or friend connection to one of the hostages and one of the souls murdered yesterday. It is true.

It is hard to fathom that these six beloved Neshamas (souls) were alive two days ago. When Rachel was screaming to out to her son on Thursday, he was alive, they were alive. Now they are gone.

We will remember:

Hersh Goldberg Polin, 23 – at the Nova Festival with his friend to celebrate his birthday. He lost his arm by throwing grenades out of their hiding place.

Carmel Gat, 40 – taken hostage from Kibbutz Be’eri. Her mother Kinneret Gat was killed in the attacks.

Alexander Lobanov, 32 – a husband and father of two, the youngest born five months ago while he was being held. The baby will never meet his father.

Ori Danino, 25 – who escaped the Nova Festival but had gone back to save others when he was captured.

Almog Sarusi, 27 – was at the Nova Festival with his girlfriend, who was injured and died and he stayed with her until he was captured.

Eden Yerushalmi, 24 – working as a bartender at the Nova Festival, who was on the phone with her sister for four hours until she was caught and captured.

May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity. Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.

May all their memories be a blessing.

Amen.