This week, as Jews around the world gather in sukkot, fragile booths open to the elements, we feel renewed significance in the ancient Hashkivenu prayer recited each evening. “Ufros aleinu sukkat shlomecha,” we plead: “Spread over us the sukkah of your peace.”
These temporary shelters recall the vulnerability of our ancestors in the wilderness, protected only by God’s presence. They also remind us of the fragility of peace itself, and of our responsibility to strengthen its reach over our people and our region.
Proposed ceasefire
As I write this column, Hamas has announced its agreement to release all Israeli hostages under the Trump-Netanyahu peace proposal, and Israel has halted its Gaza City offensive to allow for the process to move forward. US President Donald Trump, who only days ago threatened severe consequences if Hamas refused, now hails this moment as a step toward a lasting peace. Whether it becomes that depends on what follows in the hours and days ahead.
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations welcomes this framework as a ray of hope amid the storm. The choice now lies with Hamas: to fulfill its commitments, end its campaign of terror, and free Gaza from its grip. Should it backtrack or stall, Israel will act decisively with the support of the United States and key regional partners.
We know that peace cannot be imposed by words alone. Israel’s soldiers have borne unimaginable burdens in defense of their families and communities, making this moment of possibility imaginable. Lasting peace will require sustained international pressure on Hamas, moral clarity from world leaders, and a shared commitment to build a future in which Gazan children live free of tyranny and Israeli children sleep unafraid.
Solemn Sukkot reminders
As we sit in our sukkot, we are also mindful of two solemn anniversaries. The first is October 7, 2023, which remains seared into our collective memory as the deadliest day since the Holocaust for the Jewish people. We continue to live with the sorrowful legacy of that day, which necessitated Israel’s just war of self-defense.
The second is the murder of a warrior for peace. Thirty years ago, Yitzhak Rabin, of blessed memory, was assassinated for daring to believe in peace. His legacy teaches that the canopy of peace is fragile yet precious beyond measure. It must be tended, reinforced, and passed onto future generations.
Sukkot reminds us that the sukkah stands only because each beam supports the others. (Yes, many of us know that from one too many mishaps building our backyard sukkah.) So, too, must the nations of the world support President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s framework, ensuring that Hamas is held accountable and that peace can take root.
Let us pray that the delicate canopy of our sukkot becomes a symbol of something greater: a sukkah of shalom that stretches to shelter all peoples of the wider Middle East – God willing.
The writer is the CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the recognized central coordinating body representing 50 diverse national Jewish organizations on issues of national and international concern. Follow him on X at @daroff. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of his member organizations.