Several weeks ago, I shared with you a friendship I have developed with a family in Israel who are related to my great-aunt’s husband. This week, I heard from that person that relatives of her husband are among those kidnapped by Hamas, and currently being held hostage*.
I know this woman because of our shared family who were wiped out during the Holocaust. Now I hear that she has family whose entire existence is again being threatened by evil anti-Semites.
This is what she wrote:
“There is a whole family from Kibbutz Be’eri who was kidnapped to Gaza. My husband’s uncle is their grandfather/great-grandfather. Please publish their photos everywhere. Maybe, maybe it will help something. It seems to me that only when you see pictures of real people, you can connect, a little, to the tragedy. We will continue to pray for the safety of all the abductees.”
This uncle, Mutka by name, is the grandfather of Tal Shoham (second row from top, left). Mutka escaped Poland with his immediate family, but all of his extended family died in the Holocaust. Now his grandson is abducted in a pogrom?
Like her, I continue to pray for the safe release of these — and all of the — innocent souls being held by Hamas. My connection to these individuals may be circuitous, but it speaks to something much larger, to Am Yisrael. Netzach Yisrael lo Yishaker (I Samuel), the Jewish people are eternal — and we are all family.
*Italian authorities have since confirmed that Eviatar Kipnis (bottom row, middle) was killed in the pogrom.
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