Longboat temple lights candles for war hostages

By Dana Kampa
| 3:09 p.m. October 20, 2025

Choir member Nick Masiello brings congregants to tears with his rendition of "Bring Him Home" from "Les Misérables" at a special Shabbat service on Oct. 17, recognizing hostages of the Gaza-Israel conflict.

Longboat Key
Neighbors

Without much time to plan, members of Temple Beth Israel still pulled together a tribute to the hostages of conflict in Israel and Gaza that brought tears to the eyes of congregants on Oct. 17 and 18.

The ceasefire led to the release of Israeli and Palestinian detainees early last week.

Community members including Carole Shaw and Arlene Skversky light candles at a special Temple Beth Israel service for hostages of the conflict in Israel and Gaza.

The Longboat Key temple held a special "Bring Them Home" Shabbat to recognize the hostages who were released and those who died before they could be.

Rabbi Jessica Spitalnic Mates said organizers offered a music-heavy program because it has a special way of uniting people, offering hope in both times of darkness and celebration.

Temple Beth Israel choir members Mark Wagstrom, Nick Masiello, Joan Campbell, Kei Sulhi, Michelle Lupescu and Rebecca Taysi offer musical tribute to the hostages who were released and lost as Israel and Gaza reached a ceasefire last week.

"This is such a complicated time, because we want to full-out celebrate the return of the hostages," she said. "Yet, you have to think of those primal screams of reunification as families saw their loved ones after they were in captivity for two years."

She continued, "There are no words for a night like tonight. So, instead, we turn to music."

Rabbi Jessica Spitalnic Mates said Temple Beth Israel on Longboat Key turned to music when words failed in expressing the emotion surrounding the release of hostages from the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Singer Nick Masiello offered a moving rendition of "Bring Him Home" from the Broadway musical "Les Misérables." Choir members including Joan Campbell, Michelle Lupescu, cantorial soloist Kei Sulhi, Rebecca Taysi and Mark Wagstrom also sang traditional songs and tunes by The Beatles.

Members took turns reading excerpts from the writings of survivors in between choir performances.

Cantorial soloist Kei Sulhi offers a standout musical performance recognizing hostages of the conflict in Gaza and Israel. Many were released early last week with the ceasefire.

They quoted activist Rachel Goldberg-Polin, "There is a time to be born and a time to die. We have to do both right now. There is a time to weep and a time to laugh. We have to do both right now. There is a time to tear and a time to heal. We have to do both right now. There is a time to sob, and there is a time to dance. We have to do both right now."

Temple Beth Israel's Rabbi Jessica Spitalnic Mates said organizeres represented the Israeli flag with blue candles and the hostages with yellow.

Community members also lit candles for the special service.

Spitalnic Mates said they represented the Israeli flag with blue candles and the hostages with yellow.

"This is the first Shabbat the living hostages will celebrate in freedom," she said. "There is something about the melodies of the Jewish people and the melodies of this first Shabbat of freedom that allow us to witness a historical moment, that we will never see again, God willing."

Ann Stephenson-Moe, music director and organist for Temple Beth Israel, shares insights into music's power to get people through difficult times.

author

Dana Kampa

Dana Kampa is the Longboat Key neighbors reporter for the Observer. She first ventured into journalism in her home state of Wisconsin, going on to report community stories everywhere from the snowy mountains of Washington State to the sunny shores of the Caribbean. She has been a writer and photographer for more than a decade, covering what matters most to readers.