December 4, 2024|ג' כסלו ה' אלפים תשפ"ה "Please Do Not Stop:" A Call To Action in Times of Tragedy By Rabbi Jonathan Muskat

Yesterday, I stood in a line that stretched for hours, waiting for a moment that would last no more than sixty seconds. It was a shiva call, a brief opportunity to express condolences to the family of Omer Neutra, an American-Israeli soldier who was tragically taken from this world during the horrors of October 7th. Omer had served as a tank platoon commander for the IDF, and his death marked a deep loss, not only for his family but for all of us.

At Midway Jewish Center, hundreds gathered to mourn Omer’s death, to stand in solidarity with his parents, Orna and Ronen Neutra, and his family. Though I could not attend the memorial service, I felt compelled to make a shiva call later that afternoon. By the time I arrived at 5:30 PM, the line had already grown long. I waited patiently, reflecting on what I could say in the brief moment I would have with the family.

When my turn came at approximately 7:15 PM, I approached the family, and with a heavy heart, I shared that my shul, a community of a few hundred families, offers special prayers each Shabbat morning at the end of davening specifically for the safety of the IDF soldiers and the hostages. We were all devastated by the loss of Omer.

Then, Orna Neutra, Omer’s mother, looked at me and spoke just four words: “Please do not stop.”

Those four words have stayed with me ever since. Orna, a mother who had just lost her son, wasn’t asking for condolences or sympathy; she was giving a call to action. Despite her unimaginable grief, her focus was not just on her own loss, but on the collective suffering of the hostages and the families enduring this nightmare.

“Please do not stop.”

It struck me deeply, not just as a mother’s plea, but as a reminder to all of us. While those in Israel are living through the unthinkable every day, we—especially those of us in the diaspora—are too far removed. We’ve left the teivah, the ark of distress, while our brothers and sisters in Israel remain trapped in it.

But Orna’s words are a reminder that we cannot move on from their pain. We must move with them, even from a distance.

A Marathon, Not a Sprint

It is easy to slip back into routine when the intensity of tragedy fades from our immediate experience. The news cycles change, and we begin to distance ourselves from the daily reality of the suffering that still persists in Israel. But Orna’s words keep us grounded: “Please do not stop.”

Her plea is a call for endurance. We are in the midst of a marathon, not a sprint. The battle won’t be won with fleeting bursts of emotion or quick bursts of action. We cannot maintain the same intensity every single day, but we must always do something. We must find ways to keep moving, keep praying, and keep advocating for our brothers and sisters in Israel.

This is not a time to return to business as usual. Yes, life may feel more “normal” for us here, but for those in Israel, life is anything but normal. They remain in the teivah, surrounded by danger, uncertainty, and loss. We cannot afford to ignore their pain, to move on as if nothing has happened. Our duty, our responsibility, is to stay engaged, to continue to support them.

What Can We Do?

It’s easy to feel helpless from afar. So many of us have asked ourselves: What can we do? Should we stop everything in our lives and focus solely on Israel? Should we pray more, give more charity, take on additional mitzvot?

While we cannot control the course of the war, we can influence the spiritual environment around it. We believe that every prayer, every mitzvah, and every act of kindness has the power to bring merit to those in Israel, to lift their spirits, and to bring divine intervention. Spiritual actions are not just duties—they are lifelines.

But we cannot stop at prayer and good deeds. To truly support our brothers and sisters in Israel, we must engage personally. We must reach out, connect, check in, and show up in whatever ways we can. Whether it’s making a phone call to someone whose child is serving on the front lines or sending a message to someone affected by the violence, we must continue to let them know they are not alone.

Advocacy and Action

In addition to our personal outreach, we must also use our voices. It’s not enough to simply pray and hope for change. We must continue to advocate—politically, socially, and publicly—for those in Israel. We must ensure that the world hears their cries and understands the depth of their suffering. We must continue to push for justice, to raise awareness, and to call out hypocrisy wherever it exists.

Above all, we must not forget. Orna’s words remind us that our role is to stand with Israel in this fight—not for a few weeks, not for a few months, but for as long as it takes. We must never move on from their pain. We must continue to pray, continue to act, and continue to advocate.

Moving with Israel, Not Moving On

For Omer. For the hostages. For the soldiers on the front lines. For the families torn apart. Please do not stop.

We cannot let ourselves return to a routine of comfortable detachment while our brothers and sisters endure unimaginable suffering. We must continue to pray with greater kavanah (intention), to act with greater purpose, and to advocate with greater urgency. Our task is to move with those still in the teivah, to live their pain alongside them, and to do everything in our power to bring comfort, support, and hope.

The greatest honor we can give to Omer, to all the fallen, and to those who are still fighting, is to heed the call: “Please do not stop.” Because this fight is not over, and neither is our responsibility to move with those who are still in the storm.