Letters from Israel

As I end my second day in Israel, I am still processing everything I saw and heard in the southern communities.  So much loss, trauma, and anger at what happened.  Instead of sharing more details about that at the moment, I’d like to share something else that speaks to the incredible spirit and resilience of the amazing people of Israel.  

Our last stop today was Shura, which is an army base for the Chief Rabbinate of the IDF.  Rabbis in the IDF function as more than chaplains, though they certainly play that role.  They also oversee kashrut, make halakhic decisions for the army, and tend to all of the ritual objects soldiers might need. More on that in a moment.  But first, back to the reality of the situation. Rabbis of the IDF also take care of fallen soldiers. They care for their bodies, their possessions, and they inform and help care for the families throughout the funeral, shiva and mourning process.  They do this for all soldiers, even those who are Christian, Muslim or Druze.  They will adhere to whatever wishes the family has.  They do incredibly holy work. 

As you can imagine, Shura and its rabbis were overwhelmed in the days and weeks after October 7. They took on responsibilities not just for soldiers but also for civilians who were murdered.  Despite an advanced facility and a hi-tech and efficient process, the brutality of the Hamas terrorists has meant that there are still some remains that have not yet been identified.  Many of the rabbis there were called up to their reserve duty to help with all this, and the work is taking its emotional toll. Still, they move forward with their sacred task. 

After we heard these tragic stories and learned about the process, we ended in a very different room.  As you can see in the picture, it was the largest Torah vault I had ever seen!  Some of the rabbis are also sofrim, scribes, who repair damaged Torahs.  They are currently working overtime for two reasons.  First, since the war began, more IDF units have requested a Sefer Torah to travel with them.  Second, the Hamas terrorists also desecrated Torahs when they invaded Israel.  Those Torahs have been recovered and sent to Shura to be repaired and then redeployed.  

When we put the Torah back into the ark we sing etz hayim he, “Torah is a tree of life.”  It is in this spirit that these rabbis tend to the fallen, their families and these Torahs.  They do it with dedication and resilience that is an inspiration to us all. 
Lila tov from Jerusalem