One People. One Heart. On the Return of Ran Gvili
In the course of three hours on a single morning—October 7, 2023—251 living hostages and bodies were abducted from Israel and dragged into Gaza.
Today, 843 days later, the last body was brought home.
Staff Sergeant Major Ran Gvili, a hero who went south voluntarily to defend his people—first to go, last to return—has finally been returned to his land and his nation.
This painful closure is a moment of faith and unity, worthy of reflection.
One People. One Heart
The saga of the October 7 hostages has profoundly shaped our experience of Jewish peoplehood and unity.
When a Jew in Portland wore a hostage tag for over two years, it was not merely an act of solidarity. She was wearing around her neck what she felt in her heart. When one Jew is in captivity, none of us are fully free. We are parts of one body, animated by a single heart pulsating within us all.
The Body of a Jew
When, fifty days ago, the last of the living hostages were returned from Gaza, the people of Israel—much to the world’s surprise—remained resolute: we do not leave even a single body behind.
If we were unable to save Ran Gvili’s life, the least we could do for this hero was to bring him home, to be laid to rest among his people. This story powerfully reflects the profound importance Judaism places on burial—not only as tradition, but as a display of Jewish belief and a testament to the eternity of the soul.
In memory of Ran Gvili, and in gratitude to all those who risked their lives to bring him home, let us share with our friends and loved ones the deep respect Judaism has for the human body—and why its destruction in a crematorium is unconscionable. Just as Ran’s comrades went to great lengths to bring him to burial, Jewish communities the world over have made it their mission to ensure that no Jew is ever left without access to Jewish burial.
An Essential Connection
Ran’s story reminds us that the Jewish people are connected on both a bodily and spiritual level. We are not simply brothers and sisters, and we are even more than one body with a single heart. At our core lies a single, essential element—inseparable and whole.
There are still many painful challenges and difficult decisions facing our people in the weeks and months ahead. Let us remember how devastating it is to be torn apart, and choose instead to act from the single heart that beats within us all.
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A foundational belief of Jewish faith is that those who lived in the past will come back to life with the coming of Moshiach. May we be reunited with Ran, with the fellow hostages who were killed, and with all those who gave their lives protecting our people.
