The calamity of October 7 and the war that followed had left Israel and the Jewish world in shock and despair. The unimaginable became our reality.

As more details of the horror unfold, we are facing the painful daily losses in battle and the plight of the hostages and their families. Not less troubling, are the terrible losses and devastation in Gaza. We find ourselves less and less able to talk about it. The expression most commonly used is ein milim -– No Words!



Yet – some struggle and do find words to express pain and anger, despair and abandonment...

In our session, we will read and discuss poetry written these very days.



The poems are often raw and painful, while at the same time full of love and even hope. Some are in the form of prayers such as a new “Kadish”, and many reference biblical motifs, such as the Akeida or Joseph. Others address the new “correct” language since one cannot say any more simple things like “I am okay”, or the two most horrible words in Hebrew nowadays: “לפרסום הותר,” “released for publication” that precede the names of the fallen soldiers on Israeli media.

The poems originate in different parts of Israeli society and reflect a variety of voices. One program participant shared, “... Poetry allows the expression of complex and sometimes conflicting feelings, vivid images, and resonance - which is why it touches the heart and soul so deeply.”

Join us in tribute to the victims of October 7.