Day 746 - A Little Victory in Gaza

It is deeply sad that I am writing about Day 746 of the war in Gaza. I was hoping that by the time I returned to this Think Again, the war would have finally ended. But it has not. Today, Thursday evening, the 23rd of October 2025, marks exactly two years and sixteen days since the October 7 pogrom and massacre in Israel.

Although there is a shaky ceasefire and a roadmap to peace through the Abraham Accords, I remain filled with nervous apprehension. We still have our murdered hostages buried somewhere deep in the rubble- now nothing more than the rat-holes of Gaza. At the time of writing, 15 of 28 bodies have been returned. Families are desperately waiting for their loved ones to be brought home. They are waiting for burial. They are waiting for closure. They are waiting for the chance to recite Kaddish.

The IDF remains mobilised; my nephew, like many of your friends and family is still on the dangerous front lines. I fear that peace and a true end to this war are still some way off. Like you, I am waiting for normal life to return. Unfortunately, I do not see a two-state solution when one side remains hell-bent on the destruction of the other. Israel and the Jewish people will forever have to remain vigilant. This has been our story from generation to generation.

Still, we remain. We endure. We hope. And we continue to look for the light.

Simchat Torah was an extraordinary day. We all heard the remarkable news of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and the release of all the hostages both the living and the dead. Before Yom Tov, we erected a large screen in the sanctuary (thank you, Devan Bloch) so that we could watch their release from captivity to freedom. For 24 to 48 hours we walked around with smiles plastered across our faces. It matched the spirit of Simchat Torah perfectly.

Simchat Torah marks the completion and immediate restarting of the annual Torah reading cycle. On that day, we begin Bereshit - the story of Creation: from the vast galaxies, to the smallest beetle, to the unique consciousness of Adam and Eve. And on the very same day, we conclude with the death of Moshe (Moses), as the Israelites prepare to cross the Jordan. It felt profoundly significant that the Gaza war both began and ended on Simchat Torah.

There were many rabbinic commentaries about this, but the best came from our much-loved congregant, Arthur Fridman. He said: “Simchat Torah is a day of joy and dancing. October 7, 2023 turned it into a day of mourning and that could not stand. So God orchestrated that Simchat Torah would once again become a day of rejoicing.” And rejoice we did. By the end of the day we were overwhelmed with gratitude that all the living hostages were home. We sang our anthems with gusto, and the big screen became a symbol of collective relief and renewed spirit.

The High Holy Days are always a demanding period for a rabbi. This year felt especially exhausting, with Yom Tov falling on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for four consecutive weeks, each followed by Shabbat. Neilah took everything out of me, but I trust that God heard our prayers. Yizkor was especially poignant this year as we remembered those in our community who had passed- nineteen funerals since last Simchat Torah and as we honoured the more than 900 young soldiers who paid the ultimate price defending Israel and securing Jewish freedom.

I always remind people: if there were no State of Israel, there would be no place of safety for the Jews of the Diaspora. History has taught us this truth with cruel clarity. Anti-Zionism is antisemitism. Israel is our Plan B.

I believe the time has come to get off the streets. The cycle of protests, demonstrations, and rallies must end, at least on our side. I cannot speak for the Palestinian protests; they will do as they wish. But I believe that Jewish demonstrations, marches, and Israel parades should now cease. The silent majority, our decent and fair-minded Australian friends are tired of constant unrest. Many don’t even know what the protests are about anymore.

Yes, I joined the Australia–Israel flotilla on our magnificent harbour. It was a beautiful day and I thank our friend Howard Silver for his pride-filled picnic on the water. We sailed under the bridge and past the Opera House, Israeli and Australian flags held high. My main motivation, I admit, was to thumb my nose at Greta Thunberg. But even with that joy I still believe it is time to stop. The Australian public thinks the ceasefire means the crisis is over. They want peace in the streets, even if peace in the Middle East is not yet real.

If you want to demonstrate, wear a Magen David. I wear my kippah in public and I receive constant support.

Summer is in the air, and that means a return to our earlier Friday night service time of 6:30 pm, emerging from shul in daylight at 7:30 pm. We will once again welcome Shabbat at Wylie’s Baths- a breathtaking place of ocean, cliffs, and spirit. Please click on the flyer and make a booking.

I am still celebrating the return of our hostages. It was a victory- imperfect, painful, costly but still a victory. So when the moment is right, let us do a small victory lap. Gaza was not an easy campaign. But in the end, we prevailed. So let us stand tall and declare, with pride not in the streets but in our hearts:

WE WON.

The price of victory is high. It hurts. But Am Yisrael lives.

As always, L’Chaim.

See you in shul.

Shabbat Shalom.

BRING THEM ALL HOME.