Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Remembering and Mourning October 7

I'm feeling really nervous about what will happen on October 7 this fall. I don't think I'm worried that there will be another Hamas attack on that day (I hope I'm right about that!), but about what the reactions will be outside of Israel, in the US and other countries.

Will there be horrible rallies by groups like Within Our Lifetime celebrating the attack? Will the pro-Palestine groups at my college decide to hold rallies on that day to hijack the mourning that Jews and Israelis will feel on that day?

October 7 is on a Monday this year, and I have to teach that day, which I'm apprehensive about.

My mother died on October 21, 1981 (which also happened to be Simchat Torah, 23 Tishrei). I observe her yahrzeit on the Hebrew date, and in 1982, starting in August, I began to feel really depressed again because I was remembering how she had become more and more sick. She went to the hospital and then came back home for hospice.

I don't have the same anticipatory mourning for her that starts in August any longer, but I can already start to feel apprehensive of how I'll feel on October 7.

No comments:

Post a Comment