At Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, a weekly ritual of grief, hope and community
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Tel Aviv — Every Saturday night, scores of Israelis (along with some tourists) stream into the courtyard of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, which has become known as Hostages Square, to commune and to call for the return of people held captive in Gaza.
As of last Saturday's rally, Hamas still held around 58 of its 251 initial hostages, some alive and some believed dead. Speakers at Hostages Square that night included former hostage Naama Levy and family members of other Hamas victims.
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Avi Benlolo: Media fuels violence with false reporting on Gaza
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Winnipeg Free Press
12 hours ago
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Vancouver Sun
12 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Community comes together to honour Lapu Lapu Day victims at 40-day memorial mass
The number 40 makes frequent appearances in the Bible. It rained on Noah's Ark for 40 days and nights; Israelis wandered the wilderness for 40 years, eating manna; Moses spent 40 days on a mountain with God and descended with the 10 Commandments, Jesus was tempted by the Devil for 40 days. And for devout Filipinos, it's custom and tradition that when somebody dies, they pray for them for 40 days. On Thursday evening, a couple hundred people attended a 40-day memorial mass to honour and pray for the 11 people who lost their lives at the Lapu Lapu Day festival on April 26. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'In Filipino Catholic tradition, it's believed by many people that for 40 days the souls of our loved ones still walk the Earth, they still remain really close to us,' Crystal Laderas said outside St. Andrew's Parish in east Vancouver, before the mass began. 'So on the 40th day, (the souls) transition to the afterlife and they find peace. 'For a lot of people, this is not about moving on, but parting with love.' It helps people transition to the next phase, she said. 'The mourning will continue, and past the 40 days there will be other events that are needed for collective healing.' The tragedy, which also injured dozens more people, occurred as Lapu Lapu Day was winding down and families were heading back to their homes. The driver of a black SVU sped past food trucks on East 43rd street, which had been blocked off for pedestrians-only around 8:15 p.m., plowing into the crowded street and sending bodies flying. Kai-ji Adam Lo, 30, who was under the care of a mental health team and on leave from hospital, faces eight counts of second-degree murder. He appeared briefly by video in Vancouver provincial court on Friday, May 30, for his second court appearance. He has been sent for a psychiatric assessment, and is scheduled to return to court next week to set a date for his next appearance, which will be for legal arguments on whether he's mentally fit to stand trial. Forty is also the number of days Jesus stayed on Earth after his resurrection before ascending to heaven. 'In an event like this,' said Fr. Francis Galvan , pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Delta, speaking outside the church before the service, 'as violent, as tragic and as painful as it is, we believers continue to remember (the victims). 'We remember the pain, because all of us are affected by it. But when we remember, we no longer remember just human beings. 'We remember God and how God enters into this, because 40 days is a time of change and transformation.' The tragedy of Lapu Lapu Day was noted around the world. Among those who reached out with condolences and sympathy were King Charles, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron. Galvan, the seventh of 10 children born to farmer parents in a remote village in the Philippines, said he was supposed to be at the festival, but the death of Pope Francis required his attention elsewhere. 'Sometimes we get broken, we don't know the reason, but something happened in our lives and so for us, we're not just praying for those who have died, we also pray for the one who caused this pain,' Galvan said. 'He's a human being also like us. 'We pray for him as well, because there are things that we do not understand as human beings … this is very important because when we pray, we raise our minds and hearts.' Galvan was in attendance at Thursday's mass in support of St. Andrew's pastor Fr. Salvador Reyes Jr., who began the service with the hymn Christ Be Our Light: 'Shine in our hearts, shine through the darkness.' That was followed with a passage from Isiah that, Reyes said, emphasizes God's mercy and compassion, even toward sinners : 'I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry.' Eight volunteers with the Provincial Psychosocial Services were on hand to help anyone needing assistance coping with the trauma, with their pamphlets on a table inside the church near doors with posters reading Hope Lives Here. After the service, Reyes led a precession the four blocks to 43rd Avenue, where the tragedy took place. They were accompanied by a police escort, six officers in three police cars, which cordoned off the street for the vigil. White-robed children followed close behind, then the congregation, and 11 candles were lit — one for each fatality — at the memorials that have popped up on the fence bordering John Oliver Secondary. On the fence was another sign: 'This is too much to hold, so we hold it together.' Mirikit Santos, who was not at the festival and did not know anyone who was hurt, said she was there because she couldn't bear the burden of her emotions by herself. 'Here I can express my emotions and I'm not alone,' she said. gordmcintyre@
