What’s it like in Israel right now? Do you feel the war happening there?
When you walk down the long aisle of Ben Gurion International Airport, you pass a line of large posters with photos of each individual hostage and his or her name.
Everywhere you go in Yerushalayim, you see posters with photos of the hostages and signs that say “Bring Them Home.” It’s so heartbreaking!
There are clearly marked signs for communal bomb shelters. I don’t remember seeing those before, or it could be I wasn’t cognizant of them before.
When this writer visited her friend in the Gush for Shabbos, it was the first time that her friend pointed out the safe room to us. We noticed many community members in the moshav carrying guns on Shabbos. They always did, but it seemed that there were many more with guns this time. My friend shared that all her daughters also have guns and are trained in how to use them.
In the Sacher Park in Yerushalayim, we discovered a yellow piano in the middle of the park. A chasidic man was seated at the piano, playing beautiful classical music. On closer examination, we found a sign explaining the significance of this piano.
On Sunday, April 14, the first yellow piano was set up in Hostage Square in honor of a 23-year-old gifted musician who was kidnapped and taken hostage from the Nova Music Festival, Alon Ohel.
Alon is from Levon, a settlement in the Galilee. On October 7, he and his friends tried to flee, but were forced to turn back and hide in a field shelter. He was in the shelter with his best friends. Two of his friends were brutally murdered. Sixteen of the people in the shelter were brutally murdered, as well, and he was kidnapped by Hamas.
Similar pianos were set up in New York (in Washington Square Park), Paris, Amsterdam, Australia, and other cities around the world by his family, representing hope for his return. Visitors are invited to play the piano and send love and strength.
A sign with a photo of Alon says that since Alon and the other hostages don’t have the freedom to play, you are invited to play for them. People express support by playing and gathering and singing around the piano. It says that music is an international language that can touch everyone regardless of any differences. The yellow piano serves as a symbol enabling connection, unity, and solidarity between people. There is a big sculpture with the message “You Are Not Alone” that rests on top of the piano.
Alon’s brother Ronen, who is also a musician, reached out to a jazz musician, Avishai Cohen, and asked him to record his song “Shuvi Eilai” (Return to Me). He recorded the song with family and friends.
In a recent interview with Idit Ohel, mother of Alon, shared after six hostages were murdered, she feels angry and frustrated. “We thought they’re looking after our loved ones. It’s too much!” One hundred one people are still being kept hostage. She has no idea of the whereabouts or welfare of her son. She said she’s doing everything she can to bring him back home. She shared that Alon is someone who always has a song in his head, and she hopes that is keeping him going. He loves music. Music is a part of him. “I hope it can make him feel strong!”
Hashem y’racheim! We should hear good news of the hostages being released alive and well, no more war, and peace and achdus in Israel b’karov!
By Susie Garber