Since the bloody massacre of October 7th, the world has witnessed a seismic explosion of antisemitism and anti-Israel hatred unparalleled since the Holocaust.
This proliferation of vile unabashed hatred against our people is beyond reproach. It represents a tsunami of Jew hatred and a profound level of animosity toward Israel and our Jewish community.
Our families in Israel are now engaged in an existential war of historic proportion and magnitude.
It is a war which represents century old hatred against Israel, a battle between good and evil – and, one which seeks to destroy and annihilate Jews throughout the globe.
Many of us in the States are currently witnessing Operation Rising Lions in real time through cable and TV network news and social media platforms. The continuous and relentless launching of ballistic missiles from Iran into population centers in Israel has become a frightening daily reality.
As we experience these surrealistic realities, I ask – what can we as a Jewish community in the United States do in order to help cope with this crisis and support acheinu bnai yisrael currently living in Israel.
As we respond to these daunting challenges, it is essential that we do not completely conflate the war between Israel and Iran with acts of increased antisemitism throughout the world.
The one touch-point among others however is that both of these harsh realities are deeply anchored in Jew hatred, and Iran’s aspiration to completely annihilate Jews and Jewish communities.
One can say with some degree of certainty that they both may be one of the same. A major difference is that one is state-sponsored killing, murder and destruction, and the other is a growing ethnic societal cancer which has metastasized throughout the globe.
As such, this post only focuses on the Israel-Iran conflict in a post October 7th environment.
In light of the current existential threat and conflict currently unfolding between Israel and Iran, I pose the following deep-dive questions:
Although there are numerous articles, papers and social media posts on the topic of the Iranian threat to Israel, why have we not seen public Israel support rallies or demonstrations, not unlike the recent Israel day parade of recent or the Jewish unity rallies which took place several years ago in the streets of America. Truth be told, I would have expected that by now, we would have seen a serious robust mass rally in support of Israel, promoted and sponsored by the organized Jewish community.
Why are we not witnessing any national coordinated effort on the part of the organized American Jewish community or a public display of support for Israel during these times of existential crisis…again, not unlike the rallies in support of Israel in the past.
To be sure, we should be seeing hundreds of thousands marching and rallying in our streets and neighborhoods in support of Israel’s current existential mission.
Whats wrong with this picture?
While Israel has been experiencing significant offensive military successes and advances on Iran, we are all witnessing significant injuries, death as well as shocking destruction of buildings and infrastructure in major Israeli population centers.
These realities do not include the constant fear and trauma now being experienced by Israeli children and families who are currently spending more precious time in safe rooms and bomb shelters than in the bright beautiful sunlight or soaking in fresh air from the outdoors. And as we know, continuous trauma can Gd forbid lead to psychological paralysis and depression – the worse disposition that can be inflicted on us during times of existential crisis.
Yes, history has proven that we are a very resilient people; and indeed we are. But we must also ask ourselves, at what point do these relentless missile attacks force us to reach a breaking tipping point.
It is important to note that until Iran’s nuclear capacity and the capabilities of its proxies are completely destroyed, we will always be living in fear and in the dark insidious shadows of Iranian evil and danger.
Since October 7th and more recently since Friday June 13, with Iran’s recent missile launches into populated areas in Israel many of us both in Israel and throughout the diaspora may be experiencing a level of psychological and even physical fatigue which are only now beginning to have a negative impact on our psychological health and well being. On the other hand, there is a tremendous sense of relief that the IDF finally took the bold initiative to take on the Iranian regime, front and center.
For us living in the United States, this physical and emotional stress and fatigue is not the result of complacency or apathy or due to a continuous exposure to news reports in real time about the horrific missile attacks on Israeli populated centers.
As a close colleague recently said, if you are a true pro Israel Zionist Jew living in the states it is now more difficult to live in the States and watch these missile attacks rain down on our people than it is for those actually living in Israel.
At first blush, this may sound somewhat strange, backward and counter intuitive. But we also must keep in mind that acheinu bnai yisrael are like one people, one family and one nation. We are like one body….when we sprain or break a limb, our entire body feels the pain. So too, is our relationship to one another and to Israel.
Nevertheless, for Israelis who are in the direct line of Iranian missile and drone fire, and for Israelis living in bombed out buildings, they are now experiencing daily danger, stress and fatigue beyond belief. HaShem Yerachem
This includes the continuous and relentless psychological and physical stress of Israelis who have not experienced one moment of peace or one nights sleep since June 13th.
The challenge for us living in the States still remains……what is our supportive role and responsibility to acheinu in Israel who are fighting an existential war? and what type of chizuk can we in the States offer?
As envisioned, I see several meaningful opportunities. They may include but not be limited to:
- increasing and intensifying our daily tefillot and the recitation of tehillim
- increasing the time we allocate and devote to Torah learning, study and mitzvot;
- increasing and intensifying our chesed projects, including volunteering and leveraging of tzedaka to those in need in Israel;
- continued chizuk for acheinu living in Israel through more frequent telephone and zoom calls, with family and friends living in Israel;
- creating school and summer camp special programs and projects in support of Israel;
- writing letters, emails, articles, blogs and social media posts in public support of Israel;
- sending toys, games and other baby/child friendly supplies and materials;
- contacting governmental municipalities in Israel in order to determine and identify their needs;
- expressing our continuous unswerving gratitude and appreciation to the White House and its Administration, Congress and to the US Senate for their ongoing material and political support for Israel.
Friends, as we know, the only certainty of this existential war with Iran is in fact its uncertainty.
This level of uncertainty throughout our history has always been supported by a deep and profound sense of achdut, bitachon and emunah.
We must always remember that it is only B’yad HaShem and with the Etzpah of HaShem that we will succeed in eradicating those who threaten us.
May HaShem keep acheinu in Israel safe and may he guide and protect the pilot warriors and IDF “lions” who are truly in the throws of an existential battle of historic proportion.
Am Yisrael Chai
