Dear Community,
With 115 hostages from October 7th still in our hearts, today I am celebrating the release of American Jewish journalist Evan Gershkovich. Gershkovich was freed yesterday as a part of a massive prisoner exchange with Russia. The list of freed political prisoners includes Russian-British activist and journalist Kara-Murza, who is also Jewish, and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.
One of the blessings Jews say in the morning is “Baruch Atah Hashem, matir asurim” which means, “Blessed are You, Gd, who frees the captive.” When we recite this blessing, whether today or Shabbat morning, we can now add these names to our gratitude and joy.
There are still many waiting for freedom. One of whom is Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Jewish Princeton graduate student. Tsurkov was kidnapped in Iraq in 2023. I invite you to read more about her story in The Forward:
Elizabeth Tsukov Reaches 500 Days in Captivity. There is a Jewish prayer, Acheinu, for those who are still held captive. The prayer itself is over 1,000 years old. It states:
Our family, the whole house of Israel, who are in distress, or in captivity — who stand either in the sea or on dry land — may the Omnipresent have mercy on them and take them out from narrowness to expanse, and from darkness to light, and from oppression to redemption, now, swiftly, and soon! Today many Ashkenazi Jews recite it on Mondays and Thursdays after reading from the Torah. Rabbi Elie Kaunfer wrote a nice piece about the history of this prayer for My Jewish Learning:
Acheinu: A Prayer for Freeing Captives Rabbi Kaunfer writes, “[Acheinu] reminds the Jewish people that we are all family. [...] The request is a simple one: God, please bring home the captives. Just as our ancestors were redeemed from Egypt, may they journey from darkness to light — right now.”
I do not know if prayer will free people. To be fully transparent, I doubt it.
Dr. Ruhama Weiss once wrote, “The Holy One is not a rescue company,” and I find myself agreeing with her. We, Gd’s creation, have to act as the rescue company.
And yet, I still believe prayer is important because prayer focuses our attention on the issue at hand. So when we pray for the hostages and their release, as Rabbi Kaunfer writes, “We are calling [ourselves] to attention, saying: We need to focus on this issue.” Prayer also settles us and helps us feel connected. Through prayer we feel more connected to one another, to our Jewish ancestors and Jewish history, and connected to a greater sense of being- call it Gd, The One, The Mystery, whatever you’d like.
I hope you will join me tonight (in-person, if you can!) for more prayer and connection. Let’s be together during difficult times, let’s celebrate the wins, and let’s stay connected to the Greater Mystery out there.
Zay gezunt, be well,
Rabbi Janine Jankovitz
She/Her
