As a Jewish people, we are united at times of joy, and far too often, at times of sadness. As I write this note on Wednesday, we are teetering on the precipice of a chasm of grief. Today, Israel will receive the remains of 4 hostages, including the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her young sons Kfir and Ariel, two beautiful young souls who deserved to grow up in peace and security, like every child.
In this heavy moment, I share these words from Hanna Yerushalmi:
To receive our dead
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How do we prepare
to receive our dead?
With stones from Jerusalem
in our pockets, anchoring us,
with red anemones in our hands,
and a knife wedged in our hearts.
With murmurs of ancient laments
on our parched lips as
we drag our feet with halted steps
to receive those dear souls,
because not a single one of us
wants to face this news.
How do we prepare
to receive our dead?
With numb spirits,
fragmented for months,
with our right hands,
lost and withered,
with our left hands
wiping at our infinity of tears.
