They may not care about dead Jews, but we do

There are thoughts too painful to speak...memories too agonizing to hold on to.

The world has never cared about dead Jews; it is unreasonable to think they will care now. Hell, they didn't even care about living Jews being held in hell for two years.

What hope is there? How do we pick ourselves up off the floor and move on from this nightmare?

In Copenhagen, 20 days ago, a German friend asked me how it is in Israel now. I told him he would not recognize us, that we are forever changed. He looked both sad and surprised. "Do you mean people aren't nice anymore?"

That is his impression of Israel and Israelis. He has been here several times, not only for business but even for the sheer joy of spending time in a land filled with sunshine. Despite his German accent, he is welcomed here, respected here.

I was quick to correct his misconception, "No, no. The people are still nice, amazing. But we hurt so much. We are tired. Broken." He nodded and looked sad.

I came home, back to the holidays and an endless war with no end in sight. And suddenly, there was an agreement, and 20 came home. Alive. They released ALL the living ones. The level of joy is incomprehensible.

And then we turned back to look at Gaza, a reminder that there were still 28 hostages to be returned. And, as expected, the snake is still a snake. We don't know where they are. Here are 4.

You know where 20-22 of the bodies are.

No, we don't. Here are another 4.

Three are ours; one is yours. You sent his body as a message.

Oops. Here are two more.

It is all a game to them; to us it is anything but a game. We are racing the clock, the same thought going through our minds again and again. The world doesn't care about dead Jews.

We remind ourselves that the 21 remaining bodies are just that. They can no longer torture them. Their pure souls have left to the next world. The bodies deserve a proper burial in sacred land, not the cursed land in which they lay now.

But that doesn't take the pain away. A mother deserves, if nothing else, a grave where she can go; the knowledge that her loved one is out of the hands of the barbarians that took his life.

What tomorrow will bring, we do not know. But today, 20 people who, by all that is logical, should be dead or at very least broken in spirit and body, are back with us. They are eating chocolate and smiling. One goes to the funeral of his commanding officer and stands with pride and strength. Weakened by their torture, but getting stronger every day.

Yes, the world doesn't care about dead Jews, then or now. They want this to end, to be over. And so do we. The victory of the 20 coming home does not diminish the pain of the 21 still held. But once again, Hamas and the world do not understand us.

We are strong. We are eternal. We are Am Yisrael. Chosen by God, entrusted with this land. We will survive. We will live. We will hold each other tight and remember. It is the will of our God that we be here. Man's will, Gaza's will, is nothing.

They may not care about dead Jews, but we do. If we can bring them home (yes, a ridiculous phrase), we will. If not, they are still dancing in Gan Eden with those who were murdered on October 7 and all those murdered before and since.

שֶׁהָלַךְ לְעוֹלָמוֹ בְּגַן עֵדֶן תְּהֵא מְנוּחָתוֹ. אָנָּא בַּעַל הָרַחֲמִים יַסְתִּירֵהוּ בְּסֵתֶר כְּנָפָיו לְעוֹלָמִים, וְיִצְרוֹר בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים אֶת נִשְׁמָתוֹ. יְיָ הוּא נַחֲלָתוֹ, וְיָנוּחַ עַל מִשְׁכָּבוֹ בְּשָׁלוֹם. וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן

Gan Eden will be their resting place. We beseech the Merciful One to shade them forever with divine wings, and to bind their soul up in the bonds of life. The Lord is their heritage, and they shall rest peacefully. Amen.

19 murdered hostages remain in Gaza including two 85-year-old men murdered by Hamas in cold blood. These are the hostages who have not yet been returned.

Security forces

1. Colonel Assaf Hammi, 40 years old

2. Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, 23 years old

3. Captain Omar Nowtra, 21 years old

4. Sergeant Itay Chen, 19 years old

5. Sergeant Oz Daniel, 19 years old

6. Major Ran Gueili, 24 years old

Cvilians –

7. Aryeh Zalmanovitz, 85 years old from Nir Oz

8. Amiram Cooper, 85 years old from Nir Oz

9. Eliyahu Margalit, 75, from Nir Oz

10. Manny Goddard, 73, from Bari

11. Lior Rudaif, 61, from Nir Yitzhak

12. Ronen Engel, 54, from Nir Oz

13. Dror Or, 48, from Bari

14. Tal Haimi, 41, from Nir Yitzhak

15. Tamir Adar, 38, from Nir Oz

16. Sahar Baruch, 24, from Bari

Foreign Workers from Thailand and Tanzania –

17. Joshua Luito Molal

18. Sontia Ekrasri

19. Suttisak Rintlak