As I reflect on the last two years, words cannot fully express the emotion I feel seeing our brothers and sisters return home to Israel after pain and waiting for far too long. When I sit at the dinner table with my parents and grandparents and think about how all four of my grandparents will be there to watch my final Nutcracker performance this December, I am so grateful. I realize how fortunate I am, and how many others are not given that same gift.

The first group of hostages, including some children, was brought back home and reunited with their parents earlier this week. It leaves us with a great sense of pride; however, it is cumbersome as well. There is happiness, but alongside it, there is grief for the time that has been lost, for the hostages who never got to be reunited with their families, and for the pain that will continue for a long time, far surpassing the time when the media takes their cameras away. ?

Two years since the day our brothers and sisters were taken captive. Our world has changed dramatically, but we have changed too. We have learned valuable lessons that have shaped us in ways even beyond our Jewish identities and forms of Jewish expression. It has taught us the power of freedom, the ability to hope, and the true understanding that all suffering will eventually come to an end, no matter how brutal it may be. It reinforces the idea that we must always be resilient: the tougher we are, the more we will win the battle, and the stronger we will be for having survived. Unfortunately, October 7th has also taught us that grief and healing are something that everyone goes through in their own time. For some, it can take days; for others, years to fully recover. That tumultuous day in Israel and the lives of Jewish Americans nationwide opened up major wounds, ones that will take time to heal. In the meantime, these wounds will be a symbol of our journey to redefine safety, family, community, and resilience.

This moment has taught me that Israel is – and always will be – strong. When someone fights against us, we fight back harder. We do not take no for an answer. Even in the darkest of times, having faith, love, and courage can help us come back even stronger than before.