Being back in LA from Israel for the holidays is timed with another exciting Dodgers playoff run. Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur services at Westwood Village Synagogue (WVS) were beautiful, infused with deeply spiritual prayers and a heartfelt care and concern for Israel. I felt a strong sense of “being with my people.”
WVS is filled with Dodger fans, and in addition to our prayers for Israel and the hostages in Gaza, we threw in some prayers for our beloved team. When George our security guard informed me Friday night that the Dodgers beat the Padres and were heading to the NLCS, it brought a bit of joy to a Yom Kippur service that was filled with painful emotions over Israel and the hostages.
Then came Sunday, Game One. I’m blessed with dear friends who share the Dodger passion with me, and who also generously share their amazing season tickets with me! Knowing that I was going to the game, I put on a Dodger T-shirt and cap and was dressed to go…almost. To my Dodger blue t-shirt, I affixed the yellow pin that we have worn all year, reminding us of the ongoing tragedy that Israeli hostages are in the pits of hell in Gaza.
I walked into Dodger Stadium, surrounded by tens of thousands of eager fans buying merchandise and food. After splurging for some new merchandise, we went to the Jeff’s Gourmet Kosher hot dog stand. Waiting on line behind us was a young religious couple, all decked out in New York Mets gear. We started to speak about our “opposing” hats and shirts, and I told them how I was “back in LA, and back in Dodger Stadium,” after making Aliyah this year. I mentioned that my son Ilan fought in the war Gaza, and his wife Kayla did several weeks of reserve duty. Suddenly, we were no longer rooting for “opposite teams.” The young lady lovingly asked me for both Ilan and Kayla’s full names, so that she can add them to the daily list of prayers made for IDF soldiers in the school where she teaches. “There are some things bigger than baseball,” said her husband, as we parted ways with warm feelings of Jewish unity.
When walking towards our seats amongst the thousands of fans all decked in blue, the spot of yellow on my blue t-shirt apparently stood out. One fan saw my yellow ribbon, and in a moment where everything around me seemed to freeze, he stopped, looked at me, tapped his chest and said “Bring Them Home.”
Like at WVS, amongst thousands at Dodger Stadium, I once again felt “amongst my people.”
God bless the IDF.
Bring them home.
Go Dodgers.
Am Yisrael Chai.
Rabbi Daniel Bouskila is the international director of the Sephardic Educational Center.
