Sasha Heller's Rosh Hashanah Message for 2024

The First of Many Annual Memorials

Oct. 7 used to be just another date on the calendar. It came after Oct. 6 and before Oct. 8 and was often a Thursday for some reason.

Now, that date has meaning. That date is an anniversary of sadness and grief. That date is a memorial to those who were killed that day and every day since Hamas attacked Israel.

Almost an entire year has passed as hostages, hopefully, still cling to life. It’s been a year of anguish. It’s been a year of frustration, resentment and anger. It’s been a year of doom-scrolling on Twitter filtering through horrifying clips of brutality, hate, and fear.

I just want peace and love. I just want the hostages returned. I just want for Jews not to be targets of misguided hatred. But enough about me. This is not about me. This is about the hostages, their families, and those who we have lost this past year.

As the calendar turns to Oct. 7, this will be the first of many annual memorials. I pray that as the calendar turns again next year, that by then, the hostages have been returned and peace and stability have been restored to the region and Israel can continue to thrive.

L’Shanah Tovah.

Sasha Heller is the Managing Editor for the Atlanta Jewish Times.