Our Grief Goes On and On and On

It’s been one year since October 7, 2023.

It has been one year since October 7, 2023, the day Hamas’s horrific attack on Israel resulted in abduction, torture and indescribable loss. We’ve since witnessed an ongoing war that has killed many more and shattered the world: Hamas released hostages, Hamas murdered hostages. Some still wait in captivity. Bombs and rockets destroyed homes and entire families. Deals have come on and off the table. Politicians have made promises; families weep. If the pain feels intolerable, that’s because nobody should have to bear it.

The grief goes on and on and on. We continue to mourn for Israelis, for Palestinians, for Jews and Muslims across the globe. And when we’ve felt helpless, we’ve turned to each other.

To be honest, it’s been difficult to find the right words, the right wisdom. What we do know is that we wouldn’t have survived this year without you, our expansive Hey Alma Jewish community. Your words, your thoughts, your opinions, your feelings — they’ve guided us through this past year and reminded us that our various perspectives are all formed by our very particular sources of pride and pain. We certainly don’t all agree, but when we can push past the anger and hurt, there is still so much connecting us to each other. Whatever comes next, we take small solace in knowing we’ll always have each other to lean on.

With that in mind, it feels right to highlight your voices today. We wanted to know what the past year has been like for you. We wanted to know how you’re coping, how you’re struggling and what you want more people to know. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been polling our audience, and so many of you have been so gracious and forthcoming with your thoughts. Click through the lists below to get a glimpse of what the Hey Alma community is feeling right now. Hopefully, you’ll come away feeling less alone.

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How are you finding comfort?

How is your relationship with family/friends different?

How is your relationship with social media different?

How do you think about your Jewish identity differently?

What do you wish people outside your community understood about how you’re feeling?

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