A group of social activists is calling to fast for the hostages this year on the Fast of Esther. The activists will gather in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and invite the public to join them in both the fast as well as discussion circles, meditation, prayer, and more.
"There is a sense of helplessness," said organizer Yotvat Fireaizen-Weil. "We all wake up wondering what they are going through [in captivity]. How can it be Purim when it is still October?" said Fireaizen-Weil.
One way in which Fireaizen-Weil was able to make sense of this difficult clash was through the Fast of Esther.
The day before Purim is known as Ta’anit Esther, or the Fast of Esther when many observant Jews fast from sunrise to sunset. It is an echo of the fast that Esther, the heroine of the Purim story, asked the Jews of Shushan to observe before she petitioned the king to save them from a murderous villain intent on their destruction.
The heroic story of Esther inspires activism
"The story of Esther is actually the story of someone who was a hostage herself," explained Fireaizen-Weil. "We always celebrate Purim happily without always paying attention to the text, but it is the story of a Jewish girl who is kidnapped and in a strange place. Her freedom is taken, and it's clear what she is going through," added Fireaizen-Weil, explaining why the connection between the fast and the hostages made sense to her.
While the organizers are fasting with an emphasis on the female hostages, they said that the fast is universal and invited participants to choose to focus on any hostage.
Participants also need not fast and can participate simply through joining the activities in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv or even just by thinking about the hostages wherever they are, explained Fireaizen-Weil.
Remembering the hostages
The groups will gather at the hostage family camps in Jerusalem—near Paris Square—and in Tel Aviv at Hostages Square, in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. At 5 p.m., representatives from hostage families will speak, and there will be live music and other speakers at the gathering in Jerusalem.
This is not a political activity but a public one, said Fireaizen-Weil, who said that the response has been exciting, with many people joining the project or committing to fast from afar. "I got calls from people who did not even know about the fast and wanted to participate. I even got a call from women saying that they will join the fast from Riverdale," said Fireaizen-Weil.
There are 19 women still held hostage or whose bodies are still held in Hamas captivity: Naama Levy, Shani Louk, Noa Argamani, Romi Gonen, Arbel Yehud, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Doron Steinbrecher, Maya Goren, Ofra Kedar, Inbar Haiman, Liri Albag, Daniella Gilboa, Shiri Bibas, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Emily Damari, Amit Esther Buskila, and Judy Weinstein.
"We invite everyone to join," said Fireaizen-Weil, saying that she hopes we can soon turn from "mourning to joy and from pain to better days."
Philissa Cramer/JTA contributed to this report.