The Jewish community has been in mourning since Oct. 7, 2023, but some days are harder than others. These past few days have been some of the hardest yet, with the news that Ariel and Kfir Bibas were murdered in captivity and the still unknown whereabouts of their mother, Shiri. We are also grieving the loss of Oded Lifshitz, another slain hostage known for working toward peace.
If your heart is breaking, if you don’t know how to handle it, know that you are not alone. We asked our Instagram community to share, in one word, how you’re feeling right now.
Here is a collection of words that describe the current emotional state of the Hey Alma community:
Rage. Shattered. Devastated. Gutted. Terrified. Hopeless. Angry. Heartbroken. Broken. Furious. Alone. Defeated. Deflated. Helpless. Numb. Tired. Lonely. Disgusted. Empty. Abandoned. Isolated. Sick. Lost. Despair. Disbelief.
We also asked what you need from your community right now. Here’s what the Hey Alma community is looking for:
I’m looking for signs of hope.
Jewish joy.
To not let the hate we’re feeling destroy us of all the amazing light we have.
I need more of my non-Jewish friends to acknowledge how fucked up this is.
I just want acknowledgment.
Support and empathy for Jews.
Private messages of support and condolences from friends.
Love and togetherness.
Understanding.
Less polarized discourse.
Connection.
Coming together in grief but not in revenge.
Support and understanding that we need to grieve today, and advocate tomorrow.
I just want to share my grief with someone.
I want to hear from others beyond my Jewish circle.
Radical empathy for every soul.
Validation that we’re not alone.
Permission to grieve.
A hug.
Wherever you’re at physically and emotionally this Shabbat, please know that you are not alone. The Hey Alma community is together in grief and mourning, and we wish we could all have a collective group hug.
Today, Feb. 21, 2025, our sister site Kveller hosted a collective moment of grief for the Bibas family to mourn for Kfir, Ariel and Oded Lifshitz and pray for Shiri and the other hostages. You can watch the event here:
In solidarity, and with prayers for better days to come, Shabbat shalom, amen.
