At Honeymoon Israel, we bring couples to Israel — not because it is easy, but precisely because it is complicated. To go is to bear witness, to meet people living with grief and resilience, and to hold beauty and brokenness together.
It is in this spirit of bearing witness that we are honored to share the voice of Maayan Snapir, whose grandparents were taken hostage on October 7, 2023. Maayan is a public speaker and naturopath (N.D.) who has dedicated herself to bringing hope and purpose following the attacks, advocating for hostages, and supporting families and communities impacted by this tragedy. Her words remind us of resilience, courage, and the power of collective care.
Holding on to Hope, by Maayan Snapir
Reflections for the Honeymoon Israel community/October, 2025
We are marking two years – 730 days – since October 7, 2023, a date that turned into a symbol of shock, pain, and unimaginable horror. On that day, 251 hostages were taken from Israel, including my grandparents, Oded and Yocheved Lifshitz. If you would have asked me after just 100 days, a number that felt so significant, if we would still have hostages held in Gaza two years after, I would have said no, definitively.
And yet, here we are. Standing, with bleeding hearts and tired feet after who knows how many rallies and demonstrations, after so many funerals and tears, asking ourselves – now what?
The answer to this question can be a pivot point for the Jewish people. Because once again in our long history, we have to make difficult choices under unimaginable circumstances. Will we choose darkness, pain, and war, or will we choose light, love and kindness? Will we become strong enough to realize peace can be achieved in many ways, and is a sign of strength and not of defeat?
“There are no winners at war” is a message I heard many times growing up. After two years of war, this year during the High Holidays, as many people do, I take a moment to pause and observe. I look back and see devastation, loss, and pain, so many hearts and families that will never be complete again. But then I look forward – and right in front of me, right now, I see YOU. You who choose to read these words now. You who choose to care, ask and support in endless different ways. You who choose to come all the way to Israel, or bring Israel and Israelis all the way to you and into your home, always with an open heart and an open hand. THIS is HOPE.
There’s nobody that supported the hostages and IDF soldiers’ families like the global Jewish community. Even in moments that are harder to understand or accept, even when not everybody’s opinions align, at the end of the day, you showed up. And this love, of Jewish people of the world to the people of Israel, changed everything I knew about our tribe. We are not really alone.
Yet somewhere in the darkness of a tunnel in Gaza, there are people that maybe do feel forgotten, left alone, in a reality no one could have ever imagined. Some still pray for help, some just try to survive the next second, but none of them have given up on hope. And if they still believe, if they still hold on to life, we can too. Take a moment to send them love now, to strengthen them, to remind them this is a terrible chapter but not the end of their book yet. They are coming home!
A Ritual to Mark October 7
If you would like to pause with your partner this October 7, here is one way to mark the day:
- Light a candle – traditionally a 24-hour yahrzeit candle, in memory of those lost, in solidarity with hostages, and in recognition of ongoing suffering.
- Share grief and hope – each of you names one grief and one hope you carry—for Israel, the Jewish people, Palestinians, or the broader human family.
- Sit in quiet – breathe together, honoring what you’ve shared, letting silence hold what words cannot.
A Blessing For Each of Us on October 7
HaMakom yenachem הַמָּקוֹם יְנַחֵם: May the One we call The Place bring comfort to all who mourn.
Oseh shalom bimromav עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו: May the One who makes peace above, bring peace to us and to all the world.
May our hearts remain open enough to feel pain alongside compassion. May we be gentle with ourselves on this day, and receive whatever feelings arise. And may we awaken on October 8 with the strength of our tradition’s wisdom, which teaches uvacharta bachayim.
וּבָחַרְתָּ בַּחַיִּים choose life, and may we, in our own homes and partnerships, be vessels of compassion, courage, and peace.
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