OCTOBER 17 • 2024 | 5
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incomplete, the Jewish people are 
similarly incomplete if even one Jew 
is missing from the collective entity 
that is the nation of Israel.
This is the reason why on the 
holiday of Simchat Torah, when 
we joyously celebrate the priceless 
gift of becoming a nation, we take 
the Torah scrolls out of the Ark, 
and we distribute them among 
all those assembled. Everyone in 
the synagogue, regardless of their 
background, is given the Torah to 
dance with. 
As part of our celebration of the 
Torah, which embodies our faith, 
our values and our ideals, we must 
underscore and encourage each and 
every Jew’s relationship to the whole, 
that our entire nation is one with 
the Torah. Ish echad b’lev echad, one 
person with one heart. Every Jew 
embraces, kisses and dances with the 
Torah, because the Torah was given 
to the entire Jewish nation, and we 
are all required to be united in our 
love and affection for our traditions 
and for each other.
Not one of us in this room will 
ever forget Oct. 7, 2023, the day of 
Simchat Torah. So many “letters” 
of our beautiful “Torah” have been 
erased. So many precious souls 
were taken from us, and so many 
are missing from our special family. 
Every soldier and every civilian that 
was cruelly taken from us represents 
a missing “letter” from the “Torah” 
that is the Jewish nation, leaving an 
empty space, a void in our hearts.
All that remains of them is our 
hope and their memory — and it 
is that hope and memory which we 
have come here tonight to honor.

HEROISM ACROSS ISRAEL
In the face of this unimaginable 
horror, the people of Israel did what 
they have always done — they stood 
tall. They refused to be broken, or 
divided, or intimidated.
From the first moments of the 
attack, we saw acts of extraordinary 
heroism. Soldiers, first responders 
and ordinary citizens alike rushed 
to defend their homes, their families 

and their country. Neighbors opened 
their doors to strangers, providing 
shelter and comfort to those in need. 
Communities banded together, 
turning synagogues, schools, and 
community centers into sanctuaries 
of support and strength. 
In the wake of one of the greatest 
acts of evil came gestures of the 
most extraordinary humanity and 
goodness. And since then, every 
sector of Israeli and Jewish society 
worldwide has committed itself 
to the work of relief and recovery, 
turning their renowned generosity, 
ingenuity and determination to the 
task of rebuilding for the future.
Jews and friends of Israel 
everywhere have come together at 
rallies and vigils, in synagogues and 
public squares, raising our voices 
to demand justice and to call for 
the safe return of those who remain 
captive in Gaza. 
Collectively, Jewish communities 
across North America have raised 
nearly a billion dollars to aid 
the people of Israel in their long 
recovery. We as a people have 
become more united, more educated, 
more faithful and more determined.
Today, as we remember the 
atrocities of Oct. 7, our hearts are 
filled with sorrow but not despair. 
It is clear that despair is not an 
option for us. Resignation is not 
a possibility. Our answer to every 
setback, to even the most profound 
moment of grief, is to rise up once 

again, to light a candle against the 
darkness and to continue to move 
forward. 
In the face of hate, we choose 
hope. In the face of terror, we choose 
life. And in the face of division, we 
choose unity.

THOUSANDS STRONG
Tonight, we are here not just to mark 
a date on the calendar, but to pledge 
our continuing and unshakable 
support to our Jewish homeland, to 
support each other, to never ever 
despair and to stand as one in loving 
brotherhood. 
One of our beloved hostages, one 
of those beautiful young people 
taken by force and held in captivity, 
was a young lady named Sapir 
Cohen. After 55 horrific days, she 
was part of the hostage deal that in 
late November brought about her 
release. She has been speaking out 
about the details of her captivity to 
give us an idea of what was, as well 
as the awful reality that continues for 
those who are still held. 
She tells of one day during her 
captivity, watching Al Jazeera with 
her captors and viewing Hostage 
Square in Tel Aviv, with thousands 
of Jews of every stripe — much like 
the representation of our Jewish 
community here tonight — gathered 
in support of freedom for the 
hostages. One of her monstrous 
terrorist captors said at that moment, 
brandishing his evil fists, “We know,” 

he said, “that when the Jewish people 
are united, they are strong, very strong 
… and that is what we fear the most.”
Yes, he was right. When we act 
together, as we do tonight, thousands 
strong, when we meet our communal 
obligations to our people locally, and 
in Israel, as we have done this year, 
when we express and demonstrate 
our unity, we are unstoppable. Even 
our most vicious enemies recognize 
the power of that truth.

RESILIENCE AND RESOLVE
And so, as a new year dawns, we 
stand here tonight united more than 
ever for the future.
We, as a community, will never 
allow ourselves to be part of 
the problem. Regardless of our 
denominational differences or our 
political differences, or our opinions 
on any subject, we will and must 
continue to act as we have done, with 
our eye fully trained on maintaining 
a viable Jewish presence, to support 
Jewish activities, Jewish education, 
and Jewish needs here and in Israel. 
In the dark shadow of Oct. 7, we 
are reminded that renewal is not 
only about joy and celebration, but it 
is also about resilience and resolve. 
Let us, together, use these sacred 
times to renew our commitment to 
each other, to stand against hate, to 
recommit ourselves to being faithful 
and kind, and to build bridges of 
understanding and love.
May the memory of those 
tragically lost on Oct. 7 and in the 
ensuing months, be a blessing, and 
may their legacy inspire us to be 
better, to do better, and to never 
lose faith in the power of our unity, 
or the power of Heaven. And may 
we, as one people, continue to go 
from strength to strength, building 
a future that honors our past and 
fulfills the promise of a better 
tomorrow. 
G’mar Chatimah Tovah. May our 
beloved Jewish community and 
each and every one of you and your 
wonderful families, be inscribed and 
sealed for good in the year to come.
Am Yisrael Chai! 

“LET US, TOGETHER, USE THESE 
SACRED TIMES TO RENEW OUR 
COMMITMENT TO EACH OTHER, TO 
STAND AGAINST HATE, TO RECOMMIT 
OURSELVES TO BEING FAITHFUL AND 
KIND, AND TO BUILD BRIDGES OF 

UNDERSTANDING AND LOVE.”

— GARY TORGOW

