Vigil and Symbolic Installation: Bring Them Home Now – One Month of Captivity
On November 7, almost 1000 members of the San Diego Jewish community and their allies gathered for a virtual vigil to mark one month of captivity of 241 hostages, including babies, young children, elders, and those who are sick and injured, after they were brutally taken by Hamas terrorists from their homes and workplaces in Israel and kidnapped into the Gaza Strip on October 7th. While they were seized from Israel, the hostages come from at least 33 different countries, including the United States. The taking of civilian hostages is considered a war crime and violation of international law.
A symbolic installation with 241 chairs sitting empty was organized to visually represent the individual lives who are missing from community and everyday life. Each chair was adorned with a photo of a hostage requesting to bring them home now, yellow ribbons, and yellow wildflowers representing hope.
The vigil shed light on each individual and their personal story including an emotional reflection from a San Diegan whose parents have been taken hostage. A call to action offered ways that each person can make a difference to demand their immediate release. The vigil was hosted by Impact Cubed, Jewish Federation of San Diego, the Lawrence Family JCC JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS, and the San Diego Rabbinical Association.
For more information or to get involved with the hostage forum, please visit their site here.
