Clergy Sermons

I have often taught and spoken about life being a synthesis of contrasting truths and/or emotions. Wisdom and well-bring come as we  try to hold onto every piece of the contrast.  Sometimes this is hard to do.  These past weeks I have found the intensity of those contrasts truths connected to hostages and hostage release to be challenging to hold.  One piece of me is so happy they are coming home.  Each face. Each reunion. Each story is overwhelming joy.  AND - I am feeling such the anger and sadness seeing the condition of the hostages who have been released – hearing about the inhumane things they experienced.  I think about those remaining in captivity in terrible dungeons and it feels like too much – they do not have much time left!  I reflect on terrorists being released and people they have murdered – it pains me.  AND I sit with the lessons of the hostages who have been released: Their strength and resilience inspires and lifts up.  Tonight I want to hold on to every piece of this situation as we prepare for three more to be released: Eli Sharabi, Or Levy, Chen Ben Ami – please God tomorrow. Our congregants Mark and Gilah were there this week and describe the holding of breath and feeling relief in witnessing the hostages return.  It’s different when you’re there. You hang on every moment.  

The realities we are discovering of the hostages conditions are painful.  Rabbi Daniel Gordis writes: “ if we’ve learned anything these past few weeks, it is that whatever we thought might be happening to the hostages, what was actually happening was worse. We know from Aviva Siegel, Keith Siegel’s wife that she and Keith were sometimes given one pita every other day.  She would hide half of her and give it to him.  We know that young female hostages were sexually abused. We know that Yarden Bibas was tormented with “news” about his wife and two young children.  We know Ofer Kalderon was beaten and the many of the freed hostages were locked in cages.”  Looking at pictures of freed hostages, you can see the suffering.  Images of Arbel Yehud walking through a sadistic mob, terrified as she was released was too much to see.  Our congregants Mark and Gilah Abelson were there and Gilah writes: “Arbel looked terrified and so alone in the sea of abusive handlers.”   Together with all of Israel, we feel this pain.   

And at this same moment, many are reliving the loss of those who died at the hands of terrorists who are being released.  In 1996, Matt Eisenfeld, a rabbinical student from my seminary JTS and his girlfriend Sarah Duker were killed when a terrorist detonated a bomb on the bus they were on. The terrorist who arranged the bombing was just released.  Rabbi Shai Held, who was Matt’s roommate wrote: “No matter what your perspective on the trade between Israel and Hamas, it is devastating and heartbreaking that this man gets his life back while Matt and Sara never will.”  While we celebrate the release of hostage, we struggle with the injustice of seeing killers go free. Thinking of the unending grief these now freed terrorists caused weighs on us tremendously.  Now is a time for me to honor their memories, to continue to feel their losses and acknowledge that the price of this deal is absurdly high.   

One way I get through this is to think about the hostages coming home and gaining inspiration not only from their return but from their strength and courage. 80 year old Gadi Mozes, a farmer and amateur vintner, said he hopes to “return soon to the fields and contribute to the rebuilding of Nir Oz.”  Wow!  Hold onto the story of Agam Berger, who defiantly and courageously held onto her Jewish faith and practices amidst her captivity.  Listen to her words on a sign she held up upon her release: “I chose the path of faith, and in the path of faith I returned. Bederech emuna bacharti, u’bederech emuna shavti “ 

Agam is a spiritual hero who touches our hearts in the deepest of places.  Upon her release, we learned that Agam observed Shabbat in captivity – she would not cook for her captors on Shabbat. Another hostage freed over a year ago told Agam’s family how Hamas terrorists ordered Agam to cook food, but she steadfastly refused to desecrate Shabbat. Agam refused to eat non-kosher meat, even though the hostages were given very little food.  She fasted on Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av.  She apparently found a prayer book, probably left by an Israeli soldier and used it for her prayers. She steadfastly rejected her captors' attempts to give her a Quran, maintaining her Jewish identity under pressure.  She prayed and her prayers sustained her.  

 Her faith and commitment amidst a nightmare teach us of the power of the human spirit and the courage faith can create.  “I chose the path of faith, and in the path of faith I returned Bederech emuna bacharti, u’bederech emuna shavti  The Hebrew word agam her first name  means lake or pond.  Rabbi Daniel Feldman taught from a verse from Psalms upon her return:  HaHofchi ha-tzur Agam mayim (Psalms 114:8) of God who “turns a rock into ‘Agam,’ a pool of water.” God’s ability to transform a circumstance from one extreme to the other guided Agam. The life-giving force of water can emerge not only from water sources - but even from a rock where no one would expect to find it. That is what Agam teaches us. 

We are learning about this gifted and strong young woman, who became observant on her own.  Agam is a gifted violinist who has been playing since age 8. Her parents shared a diary post Agam wrote on her birthday: "I wish myself and my loved ones happiness and strong health until 120. That I continue on my path and only succeed in everything I do." She lives with love and determination. 

One more detail. When four young Israeli soldiers were released in Gaza over the previous weekend, the first thing many people noticed about them was their defiant gestures in front of their Hamas captors.  The second was their braided hair. Who braided their hair?  It was Agam!  So now, many Jewish day school and synagogues are having students braid their hair to honor Agam.  El Al airlines shared that women who worked for the airline had braided their hair on the day of Agam’s release. And an array of “Braids for Agam” graphics have circulated on social media, in both Israel and abroad. What if we all made challah next Shabbat with special braids to honor Agam?  Here is the one Mimi made that I will share with us tonight.  

Agam was in captivity for 482 days.  Our Executive Director Keren Or Smith shared in her message this week that she is planning on observing Shabbat, inspired by and honoring Agam for the next 482 days.  We have asked in the Shavua Tov what each of us might do to honor her. What will you do? 

Amidst the intense emotions of these days, love sustains us.  The Berger family shared how the love of Jewish community gave them strength to face each of the 482 days. "If I had to stand here and thank everyone who was there for us, I would be standing here until the end of my life," her mother Meirav Berger said in her first statement following Agam's release. 

We are a people with a powerful legacy of spiritual resistance through acts of faith in the face of terror.  We respond to hatred by affirming and celebrating who we are. Faith gives us the power to persevere. When we see a young Jewish woman, a soldier and an artist, who acts not as a victim but as a proud believing Jew, we too feel profound pride as well. May Agam and the other freed hostages heal amidst the love and care that envelops them. May the rest of the hostages come home soon. May we find inspiration in the courage of those who returned and those who remain.  

Bederech emuna bacharti, u’bederech emuna shavti  -in the path of Faith I have chosen, and in the path of Faith I have returned),”