The Iron Swords Coin

Simchat Torah is a day of immense joy in the Jewish calendar, when communities complete the annual reading of the Torah and immediately begin it anew. This continuity is celebrated with exuberant singing and dancing, with congregants embracing the sacred scrolls. The figures here embody this peak moment of spiritual celebration, representing the attack on the very heart of Jewish life and tradition as it was being practiced across Israel on that day.

These figures represent the thousands of young people at the Supernova music festival, an outdoor gathering near Kibbutz Re'im dedicated to peace and unity. The festival became the site of a premeditated and barbaric massacre, where terrorists murdered 364 people and abducted dozens more. The placing of the dancers and celebrants makes a powerful statement: the attack was an indiscriminate assault on all Israelis, targeting life and joy in all its forms.

The date is presented in both the Gregorian and Hebrew calendars, grounding the event in both civil and Jewish time. October 7, 2023, corresponded to the 22nd of Tishrei, 5784. This day was both Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, and the festival of Simchat Torah, amplifying the shock and sacrilege of the attack.

* Gregorian Date: "7.10.23"

* Hebrew Date: "כ"ב תשרי תשפ"ד"

* Transliteration: *Kaf-Bet Tishrei, Taf-Shin-Pey-Dalet*

* Translation: "22nd of Tishrei, [5]784"

This inscription explicitly names the holy day on which the war began. It underscores the tragic irony of an attack occurring on a day whose very name signifies joy and peace.

* Original language: "שבת שמחת תורה"

* Transliteration: *Shabat Simchat Torah*

* Translation: "Sabbath of Simchat Torah"

This powerful verse is taken from the Hebrew Bible. The prophet Amos, speaking on behalf of God, foretells judgment upon the ancient enemies of Israel, specifically mentioning Gaza. Its inclusion connects the modern war to a long, biblical history and frames the military response within a narrative of historical justice.

* Original language: "וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי אֵשׁ בְּחוֹמַת עַזָּה"

* Transliteration: *V'shilachti esh b'chomat Aza*

* Translation: "I will send fire upon the walls of Gaza"

* Source: Amos 1:7

This is the text of *Acheinu Kol Beit Yisrael* ("Our brothers, the entire house of Israel"), a traditional Jewish prayer for the welfare and release of fellow Jews in distress or captivity. It is a plea for divine compassion and swift deliverance. By engraving this prayer, the coin becomes a vessel of hope and solidarity, focusing on the tragedy of the hostages and the national yearning for their safe return.

* Original language (opening): "אחינו כל בית ישראל, הנתונים בצרה ובשביה..."

* Transliteration: *Acheinu kol beit Yisrael, ha'netunim b'tzara u'vashivya...*

* Translation: "Our brothers, the entire family of Israel, who are delivered into distress and captivity..."

* Liturgical Context: This prayer is a standard part of Jewish liturgy, often recited in synagogues after the Torah reading. Its use here is profoundly immediate and resonant.

This symbol evokes the Israeli flag, featuring a central Star of David flanked by horizontal stripes. Its placement here grounds the prayer in the collective identity of the nation, providing a visual anchor for the plea on behalf of the "entire family of Israel" (Kol Beit Yisrael) mentioned in the text above.