Wayland Town Crier 10/13/11: News from Israel fills an empty space for Wayland rabbi. When the news broke this week that an Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza for five years would be released, Rabbi Neal Gold of Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland had one word to describe his reaction.
“Exhilarating,” Gold said.
“That’s the best word I can use to describe what we were all feeling,” he said. “We’ve been praying for his release for so long.”
It wasn’t only prayers that kept Staff Sgt. Gilad Shalit’s image in the minds of temple members. The rabbi has kept an empty chair near the stage at Temple Shir Tikva, draped with a tallit, or a Jewish prayer shawl, and a photo of Shalit.
The agreement between Israel and Hamas announced Tuesday will involve the exchange of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit, who was taken captive when he was 19.