Los Angeles. Tel Aviv. New York. London. Rome. Sydney. D.C.
In cities and towns throughout the world since the Oct. 7 start of the Israel-Hamas war, Jewish communities have symbolically set up Shabbat tables with empty seats to remember the 240 hostages held by the terrorist group in Gaza.
This Friday, Nov. 3, from 3:30-5 p.m., Baltimore will join that list, on the front lawn of Har Sinai Oheb Shalom Congregation, at 7310 Park Heights Avenue in Pikesville.
“The Empty Shabbat Table: A Gathering of Hope” — which is being spearheaded by the Baltimore Zionist District — will feature prayers and speeches by several community leaders, as well as performances by cantors and talks by two relatives of hostages. Elected officials will also be in attendance.
Besides the BZD and HSOSC, co-sponsoring organizations include The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, the Baltimore Israel Coalition, Baltimore Jewish Council, Beth El, Beth Israel, Beth Tfiloh, B’nai Israel, Bolton Street Synagogue, Chizuk Amuno, Hadassah Greater Baltimore, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore, Israel Bonds of Maryland and Ner Tamid Greenspring Valley Synagogue.
“The Empty Shabbat Table event is a poignant demonstration of our community’s resilience and unwavering support for the release of our hostages,” said BZD Executive Director Caren Leven. “We invite the entire Baltimore community to join us in this powerful gathering, coming together in hope, unity and faith. As we welcome Shabbat without our loved ones, our prayers and solidarity resonate across borders.”
Each empty chair at the table will include a hostage’s photo. Among the chairs will be booster seats and high chairs, representing toddlers and infants being held by Hamas.
Signage at the gathering will come from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which set up a symbolic Shabbat table last Friday in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The catalyst for the local Shabbat table installation was Sandie Nagel, a Pikesville resident, retired educator and co-founder with her late husband, Fred, of Weekend Backpacks, a nonprofit that provides weekend meals to food-insecure youth in Baltimore City. She was also the catalyst last year for the National COVID-19 Quilt Initiative.
“I just see something and it clicks,” said Nagel. “This has just been a snowball going down the hill. I came up with the idea [for the local empty Shabbat table display] and it went from there. … Since the invasion, so much of the media coverage has been on the plight of the Palestinians. But more focus needs to be on Israel and bringing the hostages home.”
Last Friday, Oct. 27, Nagel was attending Shabbat services at HSOSC and being honored for her work with Weekend Backpacks. After hearing an inspirational sermon by Rabbi Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachami about praying for and remembering the hostages, Nagel chatted with HSOSC’s spiritual leader after services and told her she was thinking about organizing a symbolic Shabbat table installation.
Rabbi Sabath told Nagel that she should chat immediately with her Israeli-born husband, Rabbi Ofer Sabath Beit-Halachami.
“Since then, I’ve been working closely on it with Rabbi Ofer and [Weekend Backpacks vice president] Leslie Monfred,” said Nagel. “I’ve come to really love Rabbi Ofer. He really makes things happen.”
Nagel, 86, a mother and grandmother, said she looks at photos of the hostages in her home every day. “My heart breaks,” she said. “Looking at those kids, I just start to cry.
“This is all about the hostages,” Nagel said. “We need awareness. We need to keep Israel on the positive side of all the media coverage.”
For information about the Shabbat table installation, call 410-484-4510 or visit bzdisrael.org.
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