A community-organized Havdalah service and candlelight vigil was held at Leawood City Hall last Saturday night for the more than 240 hostages – Israelis and other foreign nationals – abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7.
This vigil was a grassroots effort planned and executed by the local Israeli community with the assistance of Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City and Jewish Experiences, a collaboration of Jewish Federation and The J.
“This event was very important for both the Israeli community and Jewish community to show how united we are,” said Moshit Snir, an Israeli community member who was instrumental in organizing the vigil. “The goal was to raise awareness to more than 240 hostages who were kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7 and are still in Gaza — to ensure they will be back with their families, friends and community.”
Dozens of attendees – from families with children, to high school students, to retirees – gathered on the steps of the city hall building, each holding flyers with photos of kidnapped hostages and their information. Blue electric candles were handed out, and many people brought – and held or draped themselves in – Israeli flags.
“The vigil was meaningful in its simplicity,” said Andi Milens, Federation’s chief planning officer. “At Havdalah, we emerge from our Shabbat rest to begin our ‘normal’ week, but nothing is ‘normal’ when our friends and family are missing.”
A 241-second period of silence was held, one second of silence for each of the known hostages held by Hamas terrorists.
“Two hundred and forty-one seconds is a long time to stand in silence,” Milens said. “It drives home the enormity of this tragedy and calls on each of us, our Jewish community, our local community and our country to do everything we can to bring [the hostages] home.”
Derek Gale, vice president and chief operating officer of Federation, said the community will continue to gather for vigils – with the hostages in mind – on a weekly basis in different neighborhoods around the metro area. Timing and locations will be shared in the community as plans are confirmed.
Other reminders of the hostages have been set up around The J. In its fitness and sports lobby is an empty table set for Shabbat, and each chair includes a poster of a kidnapped hostage and their information. Additionally, outside the Rams Cafe in the Jewish Community Campus, a large television cycles through images and information about each hostage.
Federation encourages local families to keep an empty seat at their Shabbat tables in the weeks ahead as another way to have the hostages in community members’ minds and hearts. The power of this may be amplified by inviting neighbors or non-Jewish guests for Shabbat, Gale said.
