COBB COUNTY, GA — Rabbi Daniel Dorsch of Congregation Etz Chaim in East Cobb says it’s been a long two years since the October 7 attack, but the release of the hostages marks a turning point for the healing process.

“A region that has constantly been at war for the 75 years since its founding may finally, at long last, have an opportunity for peace,” Dorsch told WSB’s Jonathan O’Brien. “So for the first time in a very long time, we are all feeling that hope.”

For two years, the congregation has set up a table with chairs bearing the names of multiple hostages inside the congregation’s Sukkah, which is a temporary outdoor hut built for the Jewish Festival of Sukkot.

“Over the course of two years, those names have changed,” Dorsch explained. “I am just so grateful we now have the opportunity to take down that table.”

Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli flag, which flies next to the American flag outside the temple, has been lowered to half-staff. On Tuesday, they plan to raise it now that every living hostage has been released.

Divisions over the war have roiled the community, and Dorsch hopes that now that there’s a path to peace, they can work with residents of other faiths to further the healing process.

“There’s a lot of brokenness right now that’s in need of repair,” he said. “I’m hopeful and cautiously optimistic that this will be the turning point for a brighter future.”