NOVEMBER 16 • 2023 | 15
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hocked and dismayed 
by the Oct. 7 Hamas 
attack on Israeli 
civilians, many Jewish 
Detroiters searched for ways 
to keep the victims and 
hostages in the public eye.
Steve Ingber, 
chief executive 
officer of the 
Jewish Federation 
of Detroit, met 
with members 
of the Michigan 
Board of Rabbis 
a few weeks later. “One 
thing that is evident is that 
a growing number of people 
in our community are 
looking for something to do, 
and for public displays and 
acknowledgment of the crisis 
in Israel and the difficulty of 
this moment,” he told them.
Ingber suggested that as an 
act of solidarity, congregations 
reserve 220 seats in their 
sanctuaries for “those we wish 
could be with us and whose 

safe return we must demand.” 
[Since then, the hostage 
estimate has exceeded 240.] 
Those who don’t have 220 
seats available could consider 
reserving 22 seats, one for 
each 10 hostages, he said.
“I thought the idea was 
brilliant, and I quickly set 
about placing 
the tallitot on 
chairs,” said Rabbi 
Aaron Starr of 
Congregation 
Shaarey Zedek in 
Southfield.
“
At our 
synagogue Shabbat 
lunch, many people remarked 
how powerful and how 
impactful the visual was when 
they entered the sanctuary, 
and that they were moved to 
tears by seeing with their eyes 
the number of hostages that 
continue to be held by Hamas.
“These victims of Hamas’ 
evil will continue in our 
prayers until they are brought 

Steve 
Ingber

Rabbi 
Aaron Starr 

Adat Shalom 
Synagogue’s 
display

The kidnapped 
from Israel 
campaign

