Ping. Ping. Ping. All day long, my phone alerts me to messages coming in from the many WhatsApp groups that I joined recently. The chats are all war-related and members of the groups unite around issues close to their hearts. I don’t necessarily agree with every post or action mentioned in the groups, but I respect their sincere desire to do the right thing and improve the situation.
One group is Forum Tikvah, the Forum of Hope. Forum Tikvah, founded in November 2023 by activist and political strategist Berale Crombie, consists of families of hostages being held in captivity in Gaza. They believe that the hostage release deal currently on the table will not only not help their cause, it will have the opposite effect.
They are convinced that the first hostage deal came about due to pressure applied to Hamas and that military force and continued pressure in the form of withholding humanitarian aid, taking land, and applying economic pressure, is what will lead to the release of the rest of the hostages. They are concerned that demonstrations and calls to bring home the hostages at any price weaken our position. We need to conduct negotiations from a position of strength.
The Forum sends out messages to the thousands in their WhatsApp groups explaining in detail the shortcomings of the deal. With their loved ones held in captivity, the stakes are high.
The administrators publicize their thinking, strategy, and activities, and try to enlist help in their battle to bring their loved ones home. They ask that people call members of the Knesset and attend rallies. They also thank the chayalim for all they have done and continue to do to bring the hostages home.
Imahot Halochamim (I’ve written about them in the past) worry about their sons fighting in combat units. They call on the army to continue the war until we win and to place the lives of our soldiers ahead of the citizens of our enemy.
On the chat, the women share videos: what it’s like to be the mother of a combat soldier, emotional stories from the field that they hear from their sons, reunions of chayalim with their families, and responses to what they hear in the news. They were shocked and outraged by the release of Abu Salmiya, hospital director of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, from prison. They post clips of representatives of the organization speaking in the Knesset on behalf of their sons. I participated in a Zoom meeting that discussed how we can be helpful to the cause.
The members of the Chozrim Habayta group have never gotten over the evacuation of Gush Katif. They believe that the only way to win this war is by resettling Gaza. For Shabbos Parshas Sh’lach, they organized “Shabbat Azza” during which they requested that people all over the country state that Azza is part of Israel. This initiative was meant to atone for Cheit HaM’raglim, the Sin of the Spies. They also opened a new point of settlement in the closest area to Azza possible, called Elei Azza. They post videos of the singing and dancing that took place when they brought a sefer Torah to the settlement. They invite everyone to join them for shiurim and demonstrations. Their posts reflected their frustration when they were forced to evacuate their settlement, but they have since found an acceptable location for their new community. They plan to move back to Azza when it becomes possible.
Forum HaGvurah is made up of those who have lost relatives in the October 7 Massacre or the war. Their unimaginable loss is magnified by talk of the possibility of ending the war. Their loved ones who died in the war sacrificed their lives to destroy our enemy and protect our nation. Stopping the war would essentially mean giving up on the goals set at the beginning of the war.
They opened a WhatsApp chat for those who would like to help reach the goals of those who fell. The chat is called “In their Deaths, They Commanded Us to Victory.” The Forum set up a tent near the Knesset to encourage the powers that be to continue the war in Gaza until we achieve that victory. Bereaved families come to the tent every day to tell all who visit about their family member who was killed. They post the schedule of presentations on the chat. There are usually several presentations each day.
My visit to the tent yesterday made me sad, yet I left inspired. Photos of soldiers who were killed streamed on a screen, while members of the family of Shay Shamriz, cousin of Alon Shamriz, a hostage who was accidentally killed by friendly fire, shared stories and memories about Shay on what would have been his 27th birthday. They concluded with a musical slide presentation which further enhanced our understanding of the boy we lost.
To continue spreading Shay’s light, they distributed chocolate bars for people to take and in turn, give to others.
Last week, there was a t’filah and hachnasas sefer Torah at the tent attended by Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Tzfas, and noted speakers HaRabbanit Yemima Mizrachi and Sivan Rahav Meir, accompanied by the music of Binny Landau.
On Shabbos, the organizers provide minyanim, an oneg Shabbos, kiddush, and divrei Torah given by bereaved family members, and shalosh seudos. All are welcome to visit the tent.
Due to current events, these WhatsApp groups have been very active of late. Let’s hope that the issues that caused the need to form these groups will be resolved and that people’s pain will be replaced with comfort, simchah, and peace.
Please continue to daven for the recovery of the wounded, the release of the remaining hostages, and the success and safe return of all the chayalim and security personnel.
Suzie Steinberg, (nee Schapiro), CSW, is a native of Kew Gardens Hills and resident of Ramat Beit Shemesh who publishes articles regularly in various newspapers and magazines about life in general, and about life in Israel in particular. Her recently published children’s book titled Hashem is Always With Me can be purchased in local Judaica stores as well as online. Suzie can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and would love to hear from you.
