Every hostage release unleashes the gamut of emotions: worry, outrage, and then relief and joy — cycling right back to worry. Now, in week three, it hasn’t gotten easier and likely will get much harder soon.
Despite the heaviness of the times, there have been flashes of strength and inspiration: The Jewish girls and women who braided their hair yesterday in solidarity with Agam Berger, the last of the five female soldiers to return, who herself had braided the hair of fellow female hostages. The image of 80-year-old Gadi Mozes, walking through the chaotic mob in Gaza during his release with a defiant smile, and then vowing to rebuild his devastated kibbutz in Nir Oz. Reports that hostages clung to their faith in captivity, refusing to eat bread during Passover and trying to fast on Yom Kippur.
While we will remain consumed with the fate of the hostages and the broader situation in Israel, at the same time, we must continue to focus on critical priorities here at home. Because if this war has taught us anything, it’s this: Community is everything.
In that regard, we hosted a well-attended symposium this week at UJA called “The Power of Connection,” a gathering of experts who work to ease social isolation for people of all ages.
By its nature, loneliness is an often-invisible struggle — one that has only recently gained broader recognition. In 2023, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared social isolation a public health crisis, warning that it increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and even premature death.
At UJA, we’ve been addressing this issue for some time, following a model established in England, which we named “Isolation to Connection.” With UJA funding, the program has been rolled out at six JCCs on Long Island and Westchester, with staff trained as “connection specialists.”
Just as a physician might offer a medical prescription, Isolation to Connection aims to give older adults a “social prescription” — a way for them to connect to other people, activities, and services.
Some examples of real outcomes:
A retired volunteer firefighter, struggling with loneliness and neglecting his daily needs, got help procuring a government-funded cell phone, allowing him to chat with old friends. A connection specialist arranged transportation so he could visit the firehouse.
A newly widowed woman, grieving the loss of her husband of 62 years, was introduced to a bereavement support group. Some members meet for lunch — and she’s already made plans to join them.
If you didn’t know better, these solutions would seem obvious. But when someone is isolated and emotionally spiraling, they are frozen, unable to find a way forward for themselves. A “prescription,” with a caring person who regularly follows up, can be life-changing — even lifesaving. Though this is the first model of its kind in the U.S., we hope to see its expansion throughout New York and beyond.
In his farewell letter to America, Dr. Murthy writes, “As I finish my tenure as Surgeon General, this is my parting prescription, my final wish for all of us: Choose community.”
For the Jewish community, in the aftermath of October 7, Dr. Murthy’s words carry an especially profound meaning.
We’ve found oceans of strength and inspiration in our community, especially when it feels like the world has turned its back on us. When we needed one another most, we showed up — at rallies and commemorations, in synagogues and other Jewish spaces, donning hostage dog tags and Stars of David, literally wearing our Jewish pride for all to see.
And now, as we await the next hostage release, feeling the emotional whirlwind anew, we know there are others right there with us, feeling much of the same. Through the chaos and uncertainty, there has always been one grounding force: The people who lift us up, share our pain, and remind us that we’re never alone.
That will always be the community we choose.
Shabbat shalom