- Michael Balaban
Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia President and CEO
The recent confirmation of the deaths of Kfir and Ariel Bibas, two innocent children whose entire lives were ahead of them, and 84-year-old peace activist Oded Lifshitz, has shattered us.
For months, we held onto hope — fragile, desperate hope — that they might come home. That Kfir, just an infant when he was stolen from his family, might have a future. That Ariel would get to grow up. That Oded, who dedicated his life to peace, might somehow survive the brutality of war.
Now, that hope is gone.
Last year, I had the privilege of meeting Daniel Lifshitz, the devoted grandson of Oded and Yocheved Lifshitz. On Oct. 7, both were forcibly taken from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz – an act of terror that shattered lives and devastated families. After 17 harrowing days in captivity, Yocheved was released, but Oded remained a hostage. Despite the uncertainty and anguish, Daniel never wavered in his fight to bring his grandfather – and all the hostages – home.
Oded was not just a hostage. He was a man of principle, a visionary who spent his life building a community of peace and coexistence. His loss, along with the countless others who were taken and never returned, is a wound that will never fully heal. But their memory must endure – not just in grief, but in action.
They were not just names. They were lives. They were love. They were futures stolen, innocence erased, humanity destroyed.
And on top of that, initial reports suggested that Shiri Bibas was among those identified, we have since learned that her fate remains unknown. This devastating uncertainty is not by chance—it is a deliberate act of psychological warfare. Hamas has used the Bibas family as a tool of terror, manipulating their suffering and the emotions of an entire nation, prolonging the agony of their loved ones. The world saw the haunting images of Shiri clutching her red-haired boys as they were brutally abducted. The world saw the pain of their father, Yarden Bibas, also taken hostage, and now left to mourn the unimaginable loss of his children—while still holding onto hope for Shiri. This is cruelty beyond comprehension, a horror designed to break our spirits. But we will not be broken.
This is not just another tragedy in a long and painful history — it is a devastating, unbearable reminder of what we are up against. A wake-up call to anyone who still refuses to see Hamas for what it truly is: a terrorist organization that thrives on suffering, feeds on destruction and has no regard for human life.
Hamas does not merely seek to kill — it seeks to break the human spirit. It kidnaps babies, murders the elderly and butchers peace activists, all while the world debates on how to respond.
Let us be clear:
The murder of an infant is not resistance.
The slaughter of a peace activist is not liberation.
Using innocent civilians as pawns in a brutal game of terror is not a political statement — it is a war crime.
And yet, we still see people justifying or excusing these atrocities. How many more babies must die before the world understands? How many more mothers must be executed before people stop looking away? How many more families must be shattered before Hamas is condemned without hesitation, without excuses?
Today, we grieve. But tomorrow, we must act.
To honor the memory of Kfir and Ariel Bibas, Oded Lifshitz and all of those murdered by Hamas, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, in partnership with the Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia, will hold a community memorial on Monday, Feb. 24, at 7:30 p.m. We invite all members of our community to stand together in mourning, reflection and resilience. Register here. Let us cry together. Let us remember together. Let us promise, together, that their deaths will not be in vain.
Before then, on Sunday, Feb. 23, we urge our community to take part in a special online briefing with MK Benny Gantz, Former Minister of Defense and Chairman of the National Unity Party. Marking 500 days since Oct. 7, this critical discussion will address the ongoing impact of the attacks, the security challenges Israel faces and the global response. The event will take place on Zoom at 12 p.m. To participate, please register here.
We grieve. We remember. And we will never stop fighting for the truth.
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