Israelis gathered once more on Thursday night in Tel Aviv Sq., the place demonstrators have known as for the discharge of hostages in Gaza for 2 months, however this time they got here to have fun the beginning of Hanukkah.
Holding indicators bearing the faces of the 138 individuals nonetheless held hostage and carrying yellow T-shirts, necklaces and bracelets demanding to “convey them dwelling now,” attendees stated this 12 months’s Hanukkah was not a vacation to remain dwelling, however a vacation to collect. And help one another.
“Possibly there’s something within the energy of coming collectively,” Julia Verment stated. “Possibly a few of that power, that energy, is reaching them.”
Family members of the hostages, teams of pals and troopers gathered quietly close to an extended desk with 138 candles, one for every lacking liked one. Household and pals are invited to mild yellow candles. They had been then embraced as they moved to the entrance of the gang.
The Hanukkah blessings, which in Jewish custom are repeated each eight nights, took on new that means for the tons of who sang, some with tears of their eyes, some with their eyes closed and their fingers on their hearts.
A number of miles south of Ramla, one other group of Israelis gathered to have fun the start of the vacation at a navy base. The reservists, many with grey hair and households again dwelling, had been pleased to search out conventional Hanukkah pastries — jelly doughnuts known as sufganiyot — ready for them once they entered the depot for dinner. One other reservist had proudly sprinkled powdered sugar on prime of the pastries.
Rabbi Ari Levin, a father of 11 who normally works in Tel Aviv, gathered the group across the desk carrying truffles and a menorah. He stated: There’s a variety of darkness, then he pointed to the candlestick, and there’s a little mild. Mild a candle.
This was the third time he lit the menorah that night time. He had already lit candles with one other group of troopers on the opposite facet of the bottom and with a gaggle of people that had been residing in a Tel Aviv lodge, displaced from their houses in northern and southern Israel. Quickly he’ll go away the military base to return to his homeland and be a part of the households of the hostages to mild one other candle in a synagogue.
When the menorah was lit in Ramla, the troopers danced to the tune of the standard Hanukkah music. In Tel Aviv, the air was nonetheless when the candles had been lit. Nearly instantly, a voice from behind the gang started a chant that had echoed on this enviornment for greater than 60 days.
Folks stated: “Now, now, now, now.”
