From the very beginning of your trauma that began on Simchat Torah, I have been following your incredible fight to bring Hersh, Hy”d, back from the hell of Gaza. I have listened to your pleas to Hashem and to Hersh to listen to your voice and your cries. No words best describe your yearlong trial than those of Tehillim: “From out of the depths I have called unto You Hashem.” Both of you called out from every corner of the world and to every leader to help bring back Hersh and all the hostages home. One simple request; one simple plea.
Throughout this past year I started every single day with learning, and requesting Hashem to watch over your beloved son and grant him a refuah shleimah. Every time I went to work in Talpiyot I saw Hersh’s face and the face of so many waiting for freedom, longing for the gift of life. So simple and so precious! One hundred days passed, and then two hundred and the hope remained that Hersh would be reunited with you. It had to be!
I heard you speak in Alon Shvut and describe the events right before Simchat Torah, and then the terrifying messages that Hersh sent you: “I love you and I’m sorry.” And then you described how Hersh, along with eight others tried to hide from the brutal attacks of Hamas. And how Aner, Hersh’s friend, threw grenade after grenade back in order to save the lives of all his friends. Then the last grenade exploded and took his life.
Your request to us Rachel was that “hope is mandatory.” Those words remained with me this entire year. They are who we are as a believing people, and you, together with Jon, were our spiritual leaders and guides every single day of this year.
Every holiday and every Rosh Chodesh brought renewed hope that your prayers would be answered, that you would be reunited with Hersh again. That you would be able to hug him, throw your arms around him and share tears of joy.
Then I heard you both again speak in Chicago to an audience that screamed out: “Bring them home.” Rachel, you were hardly able to stand from that emotional moment, but you spoke and called out to Hersh to remain strong, to survive and to live. Like Rachel of Biblical days who cries out to Hashem for the exiled to return home, you also cried out for an entire year for Hersh to return home.
And then I woke up Sunday morning to check the news as I do every day, and there were the faces of six beautiful people who were murdered in captivity. And my heart broke when I saw Hersh as one of the six. I cried throughout the morning, feeling your pain and your loss.
But you should know, Jon and Rachel, that hope is still mandatory! You led us through this year with your tireless journeys to bring hope to all the families that had and still have loved ones in the dark tunnels of Gaza. That hope and belief will always be with us, will always be a part of our lives and our memories.
To Jon and Rachel: thank you for your incredible courage and all that you have taught us. You are loved by the entire world, and we will do all that we can to ensure that Hersh will not be forgotten.
Zalman Eisenstock
Efrat
