Independence: From mourning to hope
This year, as Israel marks 76 years of independence, what would normally be a festive occasion every other year is a somber occasion, clouded by great pain. This year, alongside our great appreciation of our renewed independence in our homeland, we contemplate the profound devastation we experienced as a nation and mourn the loss of over 1,200 new victims of terror that were added overnight on Oct. 7. How can we celebrate our nation’s freedom when 132 of our brothers and sisters are still held in captivity? How do we rejoice in our independence when friends and family have yet to return from the battlefield?
