On Friday, October 6th, I went to bed after I had had a fun evening with friends. Little did I know that the world wouldn't be the same after I had woken up the next day. I had never in my life been more worried about anything than I was worried about my Israeli friends and family.

On Monday, everyone in my school was talking about it. Usually, the only thing we have in common is our Jewish heritage, but that day, we were brought together by something else - our pain. We, as teenagers, shouldn't be worried whether our friends are alive. They say your teenage years are about having fun, but how can we be happy if we have to watch the people we love suffer? How can we enjoy being young while some of our friends might never get to be anything different from young?

It really pains me to watch my friends and family suffer without being able to help them. If you're also dealing with this feeling of powerlessness, talking to someone or joining BBYO Zoom calls is always an option. Just because your pain is different doesn't make it less valid or less real. Going through this is painful and hard, but being surrounded by people you can rely on could make it a lot less difficult.

Remember: healing is much easier when you have company.