R. Avi Strausberg on Yom HaShoah: Power and Powerlessness

Ta Shma

For many of us, the past six months have been an education in powerlessness. From where I sit in America, I felt powerless hearing about the brutality and depravity of October 7. I felt powerless sitting comfortably in my home while day after day people were held hostage in underground darkness, uncared for and unseen. I felt powerless as the death toll of Palestinians civilians rose and Gaza’s population fell into immense suffering. I could do my one minute a day to call my representatives to demand an immediate release of those held hostage. I could check in with friends and family in Israel with messages of love. I could donate to organizations getting aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza. But, at the end of the day, what power do I have to stop a war, free the hostages, and end the suffering of so many people? I feel powerless.