Resilience and Hope, Redemption and Grief

Since October 7^th, being a Jew outside of Israel has been a rollercoaster of emotions — swinging between deep grief and immense pride. We mourn the lives lost, but we also find strength in advocating for an end to the suffering of all. For me, art became my outlet to process the overwhelming flood of emotions and thoughts that filled my heart and mind.

In our community, we built resilience together and restored hope. Art allowed us to explore not just the Israeli experience, but also our American Jewish experience. Together, we sang *Acheinu* and prayed for the safe return of our hostages: *השתא בעגלא ובזמן קריב* (swiftly and in our days, Amen). 

As we step into the official commemoration of what was likely the worst atrocity against the Jewish people since the Shoah, I want to highlight both grief and redemption. Rebuilding our resilience and focusing on communal and personal mental health became essential tasks for Jewish communities this year. Now, we have the opportunity to witness the beauty of a truly resilient community—one that is proactive and reactive in fighting antisemitism and supporting its members, both physically and mentally. For me, this is when we see the flowers begin to bloom.

But we also pause to reflect on grief. We remember those close to us who are no longer with us, celebrating the lives they lived before they were brutally taken. Their dreams, their aspirations—they are like flowers that once bloomed and now live in our memory.

This Rosh Hashanah, I will be exhibiting a gallery of the flowers of Nir Oz, one of the kibbutzim that was brutally attacked. Photographed by the talented Alon Boutboul and Eden Fainberg Sabach, who created a whole book to commemorate the atrocities Nir Oz faced and the beautiful flowers and landscape. More than 75% of the homes in Nir Oz are no longer livable, but its flowers — growing in what has been a botanical garden since the foundation of the kibbutz — continue to bloom. Shortly after the attack, people returned to ensure the plants and flowers stayed alive. Each flower, like every home, carries a memory and a story of grief. But in their blooming, we also see the beginning of redemption. A story not yet complete for the people of Nir Oz.