"There were days when hope felt far away. But watching the hostage families, this community, and our people—in Israel and across the world—who never stopped showing up, reminded us what hope can do.”

— Danielle V. Minson, CEO, Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

On Sunday, October 19, after twenty living hostages returned home, our community came together to remember that hope endures. We gathered in prayer and song, holding both grief and gratitude in our hearts. Thank you to everyone who has been with us, beside us, and supporting one another for the last two years. Your perseverance in the face of adversity has kept us going.

We now look forward to the day when ALL hostages are returned.

Even in dark times, we found light in each other. Because hope and community are what keep us standing, even when the ground shakes beneath us.

I have no other country, even if my land is burning.

— by Yarden & Uri, Chaverim M'Israel

אין לי ארץ אחרת, גם אם אדמתי בוערת

I have no other country,
even if my land is burning
Burning, not in flames, but in pain, in anger,
in love that won’t go away.
Sometimes, when the news plays, I feel like running away.
But how do you run, from the place that beats inside your chest?
How do you run from home?
I have no other country – not because there’s nowhere else to go,
But because this is my home,
this is where prayers turned into songs,
where fear turned into strength,
where hope waited – and finally came back home.
Today, as the hostages return, we breathe with them,
we cry with them,
we remember why.
Why we keep standing, even when the ground shakes beneath us.
Why we keep singing, even when our voices tremble.
Why we keep dancing, even when the music stopped.
And for the angels who fell to protect this land, we will keep living.
We will remember them. With every breath,
with every beat.
For they are the reason
we are here.
I have no other country
because this land
is not just a place.
It’s our people.
It’s hope.
It’s home.

אין לי ארץ אחרת

Thank you to our partners: The American Israelite, American Jewish Committee Cincinnati, Adath Israel Congregation, Atara Girls High School, BBYO, Beth Israel Synagogue, Camp Ashreinu, Camp Chabad, Camp Livingston, Chabad at Miami, Chabad at UC, Chabad Jewish Center, Cincinnati Coalition for Israel, Cincinnati Community Kollel, Cincinnati Hebrew Day School, Cincinnati Hillel, Cincy Jewfolk, Congregation Beth Adam, Congregation Etz Chaim, Congregation Sha’arei Torah, Congregation Zichron Eliezer, Golf Manor Synagogue, Hadassah, Halom House, Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, Hillel at Miami, Isaac M. Wise Temple, JEEP! Jewish Education for Every Person, Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati, Jewish Discovery Center, Jewish Family Service, Jewish Fertility Foundation, Jewish National Fund, JVS Careers, Mayerson JCC, Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, Northern Hills Synagogue, Ohio Jewish Communities, Ohr Torah Cincinnati, Rockdale Temple, Rockwern Academy, Temple Sholom, The Foundation for Cincinnati Jewish Seniors, The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, The Valley Temple, University of Cincinnati Israel Initiative Committee, Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati.