This week's Torah portion, Bo, marks the culmination of the Jewish people's master story of liberation. After generations of brutal slavery, after plagues that darkened Egypt's skies and “hardened Pharaoh's heart,” our ancestors finally emerge from bondage into freedom. The Torah doesn't shy away from the darkness of that experience; the suffering, the uncertainty, the long nights wondering if morning would ever come. But it also teaches us something profound: that even in the deepest darkness, the possibility of redemption remains.
This week, our community had the profound honor of hearing from Omer Wenkert, whose personal story of captivity and liberation mirrors the very narrative we read in our Torah. Kidnapped at the Nova Festival on October 7, Omer spent 505 days in the unimaginable darkness of captivity. Since his release in February 2025, he has transformed his trauma into a message of courage, resilience, and hope, choosing not to be defined by his suffering, but to inspire others through it.
Like our ancestors in Egypt, Omer's story reminds us that freedom is never something to be taken for granted, dismissed, or forgotten. In a world that can seem so very dark and seemingly unforgivable, the simple ability to live freely, to make choices, to embrace loved ones, these are not guarantees but sacred gifts that demand our gratitude and vigilance.
Our community understands this deeply. Since October 7, we have raised over $1.6 million for Israeli victims, funds that, like Omer's story, represent hope translated into action. These dollars are helping Israelis rebuild their lives after unspeakable trauma and pain, offering them the chance to move from darkness toward light, just as our ancestors did leaving Egypt.
As we sit in our homes this Shabbat, far from Israel's borders, we must remember: Israel lives within us. It is woven into our identity, our prayers, our collective memory. We may not always agree with decisions made by Israel's elected government… and that's okay. Israel, like the United States, is a democracy where leadership changes and policies shift. Sometimes our elected officials express our personal views; sometimes they don't. But Israel's government is not its people, just as America's government is not its citizens.
As a Jewish Federation, we unapologetically support Israel's right to exist, the only democracy in a region of theocracies, a haven born from the ashes of our people's darkest chapter.
Omer's liberation, like the Exodus, reminds us: freedom is fragile, hope is powerful, and our commitment to one another is what sustains us through the longest nights. We continue to hope and believe in a future of peace because we are Stronger Together.
Shabbat Shalom,
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