An empty Shabbat dinner table was on display on Burlington’s Church Street on Friday afternoon in symbolic recognition of the more than 230 hostages taken by Hamas during a surprise attack on October 7.
Surrounding photos of the hostages taped to empty chairs, about 70 people sang Hebrew songs and advocated for the hostages’ safe release. Candles, flowers and loaves of challah adorned the table, while red balloons tied to each chair wavered in the wind.
Shabbat is Judaism's weekly day of rest beginning Friday at sunset, usually marked by lighting candles and reciting blessings over wine and bread.
A few high chairs around the table, along with stuffed animals and sippy cups, symbolized the children among the hostages, of which there are at least 33. “Kfir Bibas, 9 months baby, Israeli-Argentinian” one sign read, alongside a picture of Bibas grasping a toy ball.
The empty Shabbat table has become a global symbol of the hostages’ plight in the weeks since Hamas militants killed some 1,200 civilians and soldiers and abducted others in early October. In response, the Israeli military retaliated with air strikes and a large-scale ground invasion of Gaza. An estimated 11,000 Palestinians have been killed, with the death toll continuing to rise.
The bloodshed and killing of innocents has prompted growing calls for a cease-fire. In a commentary on Thursday, U.S. Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) said she supported one to "allow critical access to humanitarian aid and move towards negotiating a sustainable and lasting peace." She's also called for the release of the hostages and an end to the killing of Palestinian civilians.
Yet there are recent signs of hope for those in captivity: The demonstration comes amid reports that Israel is considering a three- to five-day cease-fire in exchange for the release of some hostages. Earlier this month, Israeli ground troops rescued one hostage, and Hamas released four others — an American Israeli mother and daughter, and two Israeli women.
“We might disagree about various aspects of war,” Rabbi David Edleson of Temple Sinai in South Burlington told the crowd. “But surely decent people can agree that holding babies and elderly and civilians hostage needs to stop.”
Edleson also spoke about attending the March for Israel on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., earlier this week. The event drew tens of thousands of people. “Probably the most powerful thing was everybody singing together,” he said.
In Burlington on Friday, participants put their arms around each other’s backs and swayed while they sang “Ozi V’zimrat Yah,” a prayer that translates to “God is my strength and my song and will rescue me.”
Rabbi Eliyahu Junik of Tamim Academy in Burlington spoke about maintaining Jewish pride in the face of antisemitism. “The way to combat hatred towards the Jewish people is by being what they don't want us to be: Jewish,” he said. “Let's not hide.”
That message resonated with South Burlington resident Raphael Sacks. He said he’s in touch with Israelis serving in the military and whose friends and family are in captivity.
“Regardless of where you stand on what's currently going on and how far Israel should take this operation, I hope everyone has a place in their heart to want to see the hostages go home,” Sacks said. “I’m not sure that’s true, but I really hope so.”