All of us can close our eyes. When I close my eyes, I see darkness, knowing there will be light when I open them again. The citizens of Israel close their eyes with the hope that when they open them, the darkness and nightmare will be over, but it is not. With every tremble of the ground and the life-shattering sound of rockets, their lives will never be the same again. A bullet hole in a window leaves a deep crater in the hearts of those who watched their loved ones take their last breath of life. A world with mass devastation and death keeps spinning on its axis.

The bell rings at school, and on to the next class. Life moves on when the world feels at a standstill. I look at the hallways at the hundreds of kids who are simply unaffected. Their world did not stop at 6:00 AM on October 7th. I envy the ability to lie awake at night and not think about how many families are spending their last night on this planet together. I envy the ability to not shake with anxiety as I restlessly open the news, praying the next person dead is not someone who left an impact on my life. This is a crisis. 

As of October 11th, at 10:00 AM, the toll of this war is 1,200 and will only climb. Babies, young women, and the elderly are victims of senseless acts. Of all innocent infants with a world of opportunity ahead of them, they have been stripped of their right to live. Young children are split from their parents; communities are completely destroyed; once serene shorelines are littered with remnants of despicable violence. Each day, there are parents leaving their children with the unknown promise of “I’ll be back,” as over 360,000 Israelis have called into the reserves.

Yet, I am blinded by the hope of light at the end of the tunnel. Cities across the world have monuments, and government buildings dawned with the brave colors of white and blue. Most importantly, the six-pointed star of David once again embodies a symbol of resilience. The tune of Hatikvah, hope, ignites a spark in us all that this will soon pass. We, as a Jewish community, need to be the bricks of a strong foundation to support our grieving community so we can rise from the ashes. This is why now, more than ever, we must show up and raise our voices. Below are links to organizations to donate. 

• NY BBYO: United Hatzallah https://gofund.me/ccbcfc5d
• Friends of Israeli Defense Forces http://fidf.org/
• The International Committee of the Red Cross http://icrc.org/en/where-we-work/middle-east/israel-and-occupied-territories

‍We are stronger together; Am Yisrael Chai.