Kikar HaChatufim - Hostages Square

By Josh Berkenwald, Rabbi of Congregation Sinai in San Jose, CA

Our last stop for today, Tuesday, February 20, was at Kikar HaChatufim, Hostages Square, in front of the Tel Aviv Art Museum.  What a powerful and heavy place it is. Filled with signs, posters, artwork, personal messages, and protesters. 

The long, empty Shabbat table is still arranged for the hostages who are still missing. A digital billboard counts the seconds since they were taken on October 7. One art installation, The Tunnel, by Roni Levevi, “simulates the terrible reality into which our hostages have been thrown, while a light at the end of the tunnel is a beacon of hope.” It is covered, inside and out, with messages demanding their return and prayers for their protection.

A group of women from the organization Women Wage Peace stand with signs. They gather every day from 5 – 6:30 pm to demand the return of the hostages at any cost. As we arrived, one older woman carried on an emotional conversation with a young man. He argued with her that Israel should be focused only on defeating Hamas, and that Women Wage Peace were going to lead the country to defeat.  This is a heated debate in Israel at the moment.

As we absorbed the heaviness, a choir began singing as part of a daily service that is held every day, organized by Masorti Rabbis. The choir had come from Harduf, a community from the Jezreel Valley in the North. After performing several pieces on themes of hope and peace, the choir director turned around to invite the audience to join in Mi Ha’ish, Oseh Shalom, and other well-known songs. Rabbi David Kunin and Rabbi Hugh Seid-Valencia were invited to lead the Prayer for Medinat Yisrael and the Prayer for those serving in the IDF.

As we were about to board the bus to return to the hotel, a loud voice boomed over the square. It took a while for us to locate its source. Across the street, a protest was beginning, led by family members of some of the hostages. The loudspeakers pointed towards the headquarters of Israel’s Defense Department, and were turned up uncomfortably loud  — by design, I am sure.

Parents, children, brothers, sisters, and cousins called to task the Israeli Cabinet, and most especially Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, for failing to secure the release of their beloved family members, for ignoring them, for refusing to meet with them face to face.

Particularly difficult to witness were the parents — my own age — crying out for their children — who are the same ages as my children. I am physically shaking as I write these words. It is now 137 days that they have been missing. Words cannot express the depth of the raw grief, anger, and frustration voiced by these family members for their loved ones. I cannot begin to imagine how I would respond if I were in their shoes.

Twice, we marched into the street, blocked traffic and counted slowly to 137, marking 137 days that the hostages have been missing. Periodically, the crowd would shout a chant of achshav, “Now!”

Earlier in the day, we met with Daniel Shek, a retired Israeli Ambassador who is now leading the Diplomacy efforts as part of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. He shared that when he is interviewed, he is often asked whether rescuing the hostages or winning the war should take priority. His answer? “I don’t know, but I am certain that bringing them back is the most urgent!”

Amen.

HaBimah Theater, down the street from Kikar HaChatufim