Letting Go: Jews Retire Hostage Rituals with Gratitude and Grief
With the hostages home, Jews struggle to let go of the prayers and rituals that grew out of October 2023.
Congregation Beth El in South Orange, New Jersey, added new rituals after the October 7, 2023, attacks that killed 1,200 in Israel and saw 251 taken hostage, launching a war between Israel and Hamas.
- The congregation hung a "bring them home now" sign out front on behalf of the hostages.
- Rabbi Jesse Olitzky added the "Acheinu" prayer for redeeming captives to the weekly Shabbat service and read the biography of a hostage each week.
- Congregants wore yellow hostage ribbons and pins on their lapels and dog tags with the names of the missing.
- Some families lit extra candles on Shabbat.
As the war raged on, the congregation sang songs of peace.
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Author's summary: Jews retire hostage rituals with mixed emotions.