I’m feeling the grief today in my body, as I know so many of us are.

The pain and devastation of the lives taken in Israel on that terrible day one year ago, and of hostages who still haven’t — and many who will never — come home.

The pain and devastation of the tens of thousands of Palestinian lives taken every day since, along with the destruction of Gaza, of hunger, displacement, and the escalation of violence in the region.

It’s hard to feel hopeful as we watch endless death and loss and the many leaders who refuse to stop it and continue to justify the killing in the name of Jewish safety.

I sat in synagogue on Thursday and listened to the Unetaneh Tokef with tears streaming down my face. In this prayer, we ask who will live and who will die in the coming year.

I pray that we somehow find our way forward to choosing life. That we spend this year using our voices and our grief to stop the violence.

Because Jewish and Palestinian safety and liberation is and will always be intertwined. Judaism teaches us that all lives are precious. I don’t want one more precious life, precious home, or precious family lost.

As we mark the new year and the Days of Awe, may we face this past year and prepare ourselves for the year to come. May we be fully present in the world around us and commit ourselves to building a future where all are safe and cared for.

May it be so in 5785, and for all the days to come.

Jamie Beran
CEO, Bend the Arc