In the Jewish history despair followed by declaration of perseverance and hope

Emotions of despair is overwhelmingly present in the Jewish history but it is always followed by declaration of perseverance and hope.

We can only guess the thoughts that were going thru the mind of participants of the Supernova Sukkot Gathering, the music festival located close to the border with Gaza and residents of the nearby kibbutzim and moshavim, after realization that they are dragged into Gaza by barbarians, after witnessing and experiencing the horrific brutality inflicted on them and others by Hamas on October 07, on the day of the invasion.

The feelings that the Israelis endure while being taken as hostages by the marauders from Gaza are similar to the emotions experienced by the millions of Jews going back thousands of years in our Jewish story. There is closeness between the October 07 hostages and the Jewish people who suffered capture and exile centuries and millennia ago. They are connected by the common fight to take back the dignity and by the unbroken will to survive.

The connection and commonality between the historical events presented below and the present days tragedy of October 07 sufferers is reaffirmed by their experiences as captives in Gaza and by their thoughts and beliefs.

The Jewish history is full of feelings of despair and tragedy caused by displacement and captivity starting with the Assyrian destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel almost three thousand years ago in 733 BCE. The young Israeli woman, Romi Gonen, was attending the Nova music festival when the Hamas invaders shot her in the hand and dragged her to Gaza. During 471 days in captivity, Romi did not receive proper medical treatment for her injury and was forced to confinement without daylight. But the savages did not destroy the spirit of young Israeli: ‘Upon her release on January 19, 2025, she expressed her relief by sharing a photo with her mother and captioning it, “There is life after death”.

The modern-day scholars are seeing the period of ancient Jewish history related to the Babylon captivity as divided into: ‘pre-exilic’. ‘exilic’ and ‘post-exilic’ phases. The Exile period began in 597 BCE and ends in 538 BCE, with Persians defeating the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

In 597 BCE the ruler of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, Nebuchadnezzar II, occupied Jerusalem and exiled around 8000 of its inhabitants. In 586 BCE he destroyed Jerusalem and Second Temple. The Kingdom of Judah cease to exist as a sovereign state and another group of the Judahites was deported to the city of Babylon. A twenty years old Israeli soldier, Karina Ariev, was deployed at the Nahal Oz army base located near the Gaza border. Karina was taken to captivity on October 07, 2023 and spend the next 477 days suffering from food deprivation, forced labor, and isolation. On release from bondage, together with other female soldiers: Liri Albag, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy on January 25, 2025, the freed hostages were defiant: “It had no impact on us, we are stronger than them.”

Nebuchadnezzar II exiled the elite of the Kingdom of Judah, represented by the royal family and the court officials, artisans, warriors, professionals, the priests and wealthy people, to a single place, the city of Babylon. Being congregated in one location, the exiles, despite a sense of hopelessness and despair, were able to acknowledge the Mosaic laws as a way “to revive their original religion.” Their hope to be together as a nation is expressed in the Torah which most likely took its final shape during the Exile phase or shortly afterward in the city of Babylon. A resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz, an 80-year-old Israeli Gadi Moses, was brutally abducted on October 07, 2023 from his home. During the 482 days of captivity Gadi Moses has suffered malnutrition, psychological insults and isolation. Upon his release on January 30, 2025 Gadi Moses, despite frail condition, it was evident that “his spirit remained unbroken”.

In the post-exilic period, Cyrus the Great granted the permission for the Babylonian exiles to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. The Second Temple was completed and dedication was held on Adar 3, 515 ‘as prescribed in the Book of Moses’. For these Jewish repatriates the feelings of anguish and gloom were replaced by realization of their hope. Deployed at the Nahal Oz base close to the border of Gaza, Agam Berger, a 20-year-old surveillance observer in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was taken hostage and abducted to Gaza. She witnessed the slaughter of many of her soulmate soldiers on October 07, 2023. In the 482-days incarceration she experienced deprivation in medical care and food. In defiance to unhuman treatment Agam became a source of strength for other captives. She refused to eat non-kosher food to stay true to her religion. Agam was released from captivity on January 30, 2025. Her message to Israel and to the whole world was: “I chose the path of faith, and with the path of faith, I have returned-thank you to all the people of Israel and our heroic IDF soldiers.”

The story of Mattathias family, who became known as Maccabees (a Hebrew word for Hammer), is another testimonial to the unbending will and determination of Jewish character. Their feelings of despair and hopelessness were replaced by masterful resistance campaign which led to glorious victory. The ruler of Seleucid Empire, Antiochus IV, was forcing the subjects of the empire to accept the Hellenism and for the Jews to abandon the monotheism for Greek’s paganism. Antiochus IV insulted Jews by outlawing Sabbath and circumcision. The Maccabee’s fight with the Seleucid Hellenist Empire lasting for several decades, has resulted in independent Jewish Hasmonean Kingdom. Liri Albag, a surveillance soldier at the Nahal Oz base, was kidnapped on October 07, 2023 by Hamas terrorists and kept captive in Gaza for 477 days. Enduring the unhuman treatment from Hamas, Liri was able to rise as a leader among the hostages. Amit Soussana, a freed captive, credits Liri with saving her life when Hamas guard threatened to murder Amit. For Liri Albag the captivity ended on January 25, 2025 together with other female Israeli soldiers. Undeterred by unbearable conditions “Liri’s resilience and leadership during captivity have been a source of pride and inspiration for her family and community.”

These are few examples, among many others, of the unbroken will and moral strength of Jewish people throughout full of struggle, suffering and successes long history.

Today, on Thursday February 27, 2025, Israel is sending negotiators to Cairo to engage in talks to extend the first phase of the ceasefire which due to expire in two days. Godspeed!