February 18, 2025

Yesterday marked 500 days that the hostages are in captivity. It’s so hard for me to wrap my head around the concept of 500 Days, especially when we now know the conditions under which the hostages were/are kept. It’s similar to how I have never been able to wrap my head around the number of 6 million murdered in the Holocaust. But as we acknowledge this strange, awful number of days (now 501) that Hamas and their Palestinian accomplices hold our family members, I would like to focus on a very special baby-naming.

A traditional baby naming for a Jewish girl takes place when we read the Torah. We bring the father up for an Aliyah, and we say a Misheberach prayer, praying that the baby will have a life leading her to Torah, the Chupah, and “Ma’asim Tovim” (good deeds). The baby-naming I want to share here was anything but traditional, and I don’t even think people would acknowledge it as an official baby naming.  But here’s how I see it:

Sagui Dekel-Chen was one of the three hostages released this past Shabbat, after 498 days. When he was kidnapped and taken hostage on October 7th, his wife, Avital, was seven months pregnant. Two months later, she gave birth. Although his Hamas captors told him that his wife had given birth to a daughter, Sagui refused to believe it. (There was so much psychological abuse — in addition to physical abuse — that nothing they said could be trusted.) But this past Shabbat, as Sagui and Avital held each other, gazing into each other’s eyes, she said, “You remember what name we said we’d give her?” He asked, “Mazal?” And his wife said, “Yes!  Her name is Shachar Mazal!”

I love Hebrew names because they always mean something.  There’s even a Hebrew expression, “Kmo Sheym Hu (he is like the name)” when a person’s disposition or personality is a reflection of his/her name. The name “Shachar Mazal” can be translated as Dawn Luck, or Lucky Dawn. This is a dazzlingly refreshing image with enormous significance for the Jewish People. On October 7, 2023, there was nothing lucky about the dawn.  501 days ago, it was at dawn when Hamas attacked. 501 days ago, it was at dawn when 1200 people were brutally, savagely murdered — music-loving concert goers, peace-loving kibbutzniks, and brave individuals trying to save lives. 501 days ago, it was at dawn when 250 innocents were taken hostage into Gaza. Dawn on October 7 was the symbol of death, madness, pure evil.

The video of Sagui’s reunion and baby name announcement has gone viral. And with that video, that world-wide baby-naming, we look ahead with hope.  We look ahead with prayer for a Lucky Dawn. A dawn of blessings and good fortune and happiness. We pray for a Refuah Shleyma (full recovery) for Sagui and his fellow hostages. We pray for a beautiful life for his baby girl, who recently had her first birthday and who only now has gotten to meet her father. We pray that every dawn going forward will be a lucky one for the Dekel-Chen family, and for Klal Yisrael.
Mazal Tov, Shachar Mazal!


 Am  Yisrael Chai!