Shabbat should be a time of joy, togetherness, peace and rest. Hamas stole that from us on the day of their brutal surprise attack on Israel, Simhat Torah Shabbat October 7th.
Since then our Shabbat preparations include setting up a radio to a special silent broadcast station that only goes on air to issue rocket alerts or emergency broadcasts.
In addition to lights in the bathrooms we make sure to leave on the lights in the shelter, just in case.
Hamas has a penchant for "surprising us" with rocket barrages aimed at different population centres each Shabbat. Last week it was Jerusalem.
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers are spending Shabbat on active duty in the warzones away from home instead of with their families. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are refugees in their own country unable to return home.
But Shabbat is still a time to be thankful, to remember the wonder of creation, to try to take time for our families, our spirit and mind.
For prayer, for hope, for remembering the endless generations before us who celebrated Shabbat in so many difficult and frightening times throughout the ages.
We are an optimistic people because despite a history so full of pain and suffering we have always survived, restored, rebuilt.
Shabbat shalom.
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