Hug Sameach!

Today is a day suffused with emotion.
Baruch Hashem!
Laughter. Smiles. Hugs. Cheers. Tears.

After two years, Israel and the Jewish people are turning a corner.

It is not the end of anything.
It’s an inflection point.
The remains of two dozen Israelis still must be repatriated.
What happens with Hamas, Gaza, the greater Middle East?
What will the next chapter of Israel look like?

All I know – and it’s blurry having stayed up past 5:00 am to watch those incredible first images – is that we need to be grateful and hug each other closer.

The list of thank yous is long. (We would be played off the stage at the Academy Awards before being halfway finished.) God. President Trump and his team – especially Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Prime Minister Netanyahu and his team – especially Ron Dermer. All sorts of interlocutors and mediators and intermediaries.  All the families and loved ones and supporters of the hostages being released. Those who walked and baked and prayed and protested.

And the IDF.

We know of the heroism, valor, strength, dedication, and determination of the Israel’s soldiers. October 7 was a horrible, dark day, yet the IDF responded to the call of the hour. For 738 days, they have been driven to destroy Hamas and restore security to the citizens of the State of Israel and ensure they never face a similar threat. Soldiers – both new recruits and veterans – and reservists – many who served hundreds of days – have fought a war unlike any other in history – and won.

And sacrificed.
915 soldiers have been killed since October 7.

Today’s celebrations would not be possible without the soldiers of the IDF.
We must salute them. Thank them. Remember them. Support them. Hug their families close.

On Saturday night, Jared Kushner concluded his remarks in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv with mention of the soldiers: “I just want to thank the amazing soldiers of the IDF. Without their heroism and brilliance and bravery, this deal would not have been possible.”

Amit Segal remembered IDF soldier Eitan Fisch, who drew the above image of a hostage being rescued by a soldier before he fell defending his homeland. Returning the hostages home was the primary motivation of every soldier. As the hostages were being released, Amit wrote:

But the ultimate credit? That goes to the brave soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces. Throughout this morning, I was receiving photos of soldiers in Lebanon, who, after four rounds in Gaza, were watching the hostage release live. So too was I receiving similar photos from soldiers still in the strip. Neither can we forget the 915 soldiers who never wanted to join the list of the Jewish state’s fallen, but nevertheless fought to defend the homeland, return the hostages, and defeat Hamas. In the end, this achievement belongs with them.

As we acclimate to the end of the war in Gaza and hope for a bright future, we need to be vigilantly grateful to the IDF and unite behind them. I appreciate how Chag Samech can also be written Hag Sameach. That’s close to Hug Sameach (as in the image above). Sounds like a pretty good strategy for the upcoming holiday and beyond.

Amit Segal quoted a beautiful poem posted on Instagram by Elyasaf Ezra:

915 soldiers, men and women,
Heroes and heroines,
Are currently sitting in heaven,
On God’s balcony,
In the angels’ sukkah.
Holding hands,
Wiping the tears from their eyes,
Looking at one another,
Looking at us,
And shouting:
We did it.

Thank God, the IDF did it. The hostages are home. We are grateful and look ahead to what comes next. That’s up to us. We will be the ones to tackle the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities, to persevere, to be resilient, to be worthy of the sacrifice of so many. We can – and must – do it!