Never before has Yaakov’s pain resonated with me as it does this year. The anguish of not only losing a son but not knowing whether he is alive, hurt, or being cared for. All the thoughts and images that must be running through Yaakov’s mind…

This year, that pain is particularly real. Hundreds of families do not know the fate of their loved ones—Are they alive? Hurt? Cared for? This gut-wrenching torment is a form of torture that Yaakov, and too many people today, endure.

“And he wept so loud all of Egypt heard” (Bereishit 45:2).

Today an entire nation is crying out but not with the relief of being united. Rather, with the distressed despair of not knowing.

Not knowing if their loved ones are safe or hurting. Not knowing if their son or daughter is crying in pain. Not knowing “Ha-od avi chai?” “Is my father still alive?” (Bereishit 45:3).

These words, asked by Yosef with such hope and anxiety, today are being asked by thousands of people across the globe. Is my father, mother, brother, sister, son, or daughter still alive? We are asking with a tormented hope, terrified of the answer, but needing some certainty.

In parshat Vayigash our people, fleeing a famine, leave the land of Canaan and enter Mitzrayim, which later would become a land of hardship, distress, a narrow place.

Today, 137 of our people are still held captive within a land of distress, literally within a narrow place. They did not choose to go there. They were not fleeing a famine. They were stolen and carted away. 137 individuals…

Before this year I did not understand why parshat Vayigash listed the names of Yaakov’s male descendants when they entered Egypt. Today I know full well why those names were recorded. They bear witness to the reality of history. It is testimony to the individuals themselves—the singular people who lived a life and transitioned to another place. It is a form of memory. Each name represents a life fundamentally changed.

Today we have 240 lives who are fundamentally changed, uprooted, and transitioned to another place not by their choice. We must bear witness to their history and their story. And we cannot forget them. Eden Yerushalmi, 24

Ilan Weiss, 56
Gad Haggai, 73
Judy Weinstein, 70
Elia Toledano, 27
Doron Steinbrecher, 30
Almog Sarusi, 26
Dror Or, 48
Eliyahu (Churchill) Margalit, 75
Hamza Alziedana, 22
Youssef Hamis Alziedana, 53
Sujith Nissanka, 48
Yosef Chaim Ohana, 23
Michel Nisenbaum, 59
Tamir Nimrod, 19
Omer Neutra, 22
Yonatan Mordechai Samerano, 21
Shlomo Mansour, 85
Lobanov Alexander, 32
Andrey Kozlov, 27
Dror Kaplun, 68
Segev Kalfon, 26
Maya Goren, 56
Itzhak Gelerenter, 53
Ori Danino, 24
Nimrod Cohen, 19
Sagi Dekel Chen, 35
Itai Chen, 19
Tal Chaimi, 42
Rom Braslavski, 19
Ziv Berman, 26
Gali Berman, 26
Ariel Baruch, 35
Aviv Atzili, 49
Tomer Ahimas, 20
Tamir Adar, 38
Jimmy Gelienor Pacheco
Sahar Baruch, 24
Ravid Katz, 51
Itay Svirsky, 38
Guy Iluz, 26
Yair Yaakov, 59
Sasha Trupanov, 27
Arye Zalmanovich, 86
Amit Buskila, 28
Romi Leshem Gonen, 23
Ofra Keidar, 70
Orión Hernández Rado, 30
Kong Salao
Ofir Tzarfati, 27
Bipin Joshi, 23
Lior Rudaeff, 61
Yagev Buchshtab, 34
Idan Alexander, 19
Yair Horn, 45
Eitan Horn, 37
Arbel Yahod, 28
Dolev Yahod, 35
Abraham Munder, 78
Kaid Farhan Elkadi, 53
Joshua Loitu Mollel, 21
Elad Katzir, 47
Oded Lifshitz, 83
Amiram Cooper, 84
Ronen Engel, 55
Avigail Idan, 3
Channa Peri, 79
Nadav Popplewell, 51
David Konio, 33
Shlomi Ziv, 39
Tal Shoham, 38
Itzhak Elgarat, 69
Alexander Dancyg, 75
Inbar Haiman, 27
Omer Shem Tov, 21
Tsachi Idan, 49
Or Levy, 33
Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 22
Gadi Moshe Mosez, 79
Yoram Metzger, 80
Daniella Gilboa, 19
Evyatar David, 23
Omri Miran, 46
Alon Ohel, 22
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23
Fernando Marman, 60
Bar Kuperstein, 21
Eli Sharabi, 55
Yossi Sharabi, 51
Keith Samuel Siegel, 64
Ron Sherman, 19
Elia Cohen, 27
Elkana Bohbot, 34
Agam Berger, 19
Ohad Ben Ami, 55
Nick Beiser, 19
Naama Levy, 19
Almog Meir Jan, 21
Karina Ariev, 19
Noa Argamani, 26
Or Avinathan, 30
Liri Elbag, 18
Omer Wenkert, 22
Carmel Gat, 39
Kfir Bibas, 10 months
Ariel Bibas, 4
Shiri Bibas, 32
Yarden Bibas, 34
Ofer Kalderon, 53
Louis Har, 70

Each of these names, and those already returned, should be recorded, their stories recounted and told for generations to come. Just as Yosef was reunited with his family, may these people be reunited with theirs. And just as our forefathers left Egypt, please God, may it be your will that all of your children leave this narrow place safely.