By Erika Dreifus –
Words are not enough, not even words like
terrible horrific devastating killing
suffering tragedy trauma
hell.
But words are all that I have.
My own, and those of others.
I mourn with words. I pray.
And I share.
Every day I use my voice, in
every place and platform I can,
bearing witness to the attacks and the victims
and the hostages.
It is an obligation, necessary and sacred,
because there are others out there
who don’t know the story of October 7
or don’t believe it.
Who don’t know, or believe, that Hamas is responsible
not only for the attacks and the sexual violence and the families
and friends and festival-goers and souls torn apart in Israel,
but also for the months of death and suffering in Gaza.
Who don’t know, or believe, that a hostage-and-ceasefire deal
is not—or not only—up to Israel.
Hamas could release the hostages.
Hamas could end the suffering and bring peace.
I am not giving up until every hostage is reunited with their family
and there is no need for Rachel’s piece of tape; until that time,
I mourn, and I pray, and I use my voice, because
words are all that I have.
This piece was originally published by Jewish Book Council (JBC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to Jewish literature and authors, as part of the JBC’s Witnessing series, which shares pieces from Israeli authors and authors in Israel, as well as the experiences of Jewish writers around the globe in the aftermath of October 7th.
