Purim and the Threat of War in Israel We are on the cusp of one of the most notable Jewish holidays of the year: Purim. During this holiday, we commemorate the Jewish people’s survival from a genocide plot in ancient Persia (modern-day Iran), as told in the Book of Esther. The villain Haman sought to annihilate all Jews in the Persian Empire, but through courage and divine intervention and clever thinking on behalf of the Jewish heroine Esther, the plot... Read more
Hey Chris Martin of Coldplay, Am I a Human? Hey Chris Martin — quick question from a Jewish mom. I was born in Israel. Am I human too? My kids are Jewish. They’re Israeli. They’re American. Do they qualify as human? Wait, I’m also a Zionist – which means I believe right of Jews to live safely and sovereignly in Israel. Am I still human now? And if — if — you’re generous enough to acknowledge our humanity (thanks so... Read more
The Smell of Fear This morning I finally had the wherewithal to shower and change my clothes, clothing I had been wearing for the past 24 hours. My tank top reeked of body odor. This was a different kind of body odor; it was the smell of a fear that I had never known. I will not wash this tank top, I told myself. When I get back home to Atlanta G-d willing, I will take a whiff of it... Read more
Shock and Awe: An Existential Moment For many Jews around the world, the events of October 7 and its aftermath – were an existential wake-up call. Suddenly, we realized that humans have not evolved since the Holocaust and that antisemitism is alive and well, and brewing out in the open for the whole world to see – and even support. Growing up in suburban Atlanta, I had never really encountered blatant antisemitism. There were a few instances where ignorant people... Read more
The Righteous When the Nazis sought to exterminate the Jewish population during the Holocaust, a small but significant number of non-Jews risked own their lives to save Jewish people. They hid individuals and entire families with young children in their attics, basements, outhouses and crevices of their homes. These brave people are referred to as “Righteous Among the Nations“. Those who were known were recognized and awarded for their efforts – even posthumously – and some even accepted Israel’s... Read more
Diary of a Reluctant Jewish Football Mom Football and the magnitude of its pervasive culture in America (especially where I live in the South) is somehow lost on me and my Israeli husband. He is not familiar with the sport, probably because it pretty much doesn’t exist in Israel. His only knowledge of football is from the movies, the glorified stories of football heroes scoring goals and having their pick of the prettiest blonde cheerleaders, just like Friday Night Lights.... Read more
It’s 2024 and I’m a Jewish, Israeli American wife and mother of two growing boys. It’s difficult for me to verbalize the fear and frustration that I feel on a day-to-day basis. The constant headlines of blatant antisemitism – in universities, government buildings, on display in city streets, and blasted on social media are unbearable. The fact that there are Jewish people in America being targeted and killed for being Jewish. I. just. can’t. even. Understand how this is happening... Read more
This Friday marks International Women’s Day. There are still 19 innocent women — among 134 other hostages – still being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas, for over 150 days now. One of these hostages, Shir Bibas, was kidnapped with her two small children, one age 4 and another age 1. Their fate is unknown. The depravity of the situation for the hostages and their families is excruciating. These young women who are facing rape, abuse, subhuman conditions, and not a... Read more
It’s been just over 100 days since the hounds of hell descended upon the land of Israel, thirsty for Jewish blood and any living creature in their path. Brutally murdering, raping, and desecrating bodies of men, women, children, teens, beheading babies, killing elderly, and even helpless handicapped civilians. It’s been just over 100 days that over 120 Jewish hostages remain in the most inhumane conditions possible in Gaza, including 19-year-old Karina Ariev, 19-year-old Daniela Gilboa, and 18-year-old Liri Albag. A... Read more
It’s been over two months since the October 7 massacre, violent rape, maiming and kidnapping of Jews living in Israel, as well as innocent foreign workers who were victims of Hamas’ brutal rampage. Since then, Israeli military forces are battling Hamas inside Gaza, trying to wipe the scourge of terrorism against Israel once and for all. Spread of Antisemitism The world backlash has been palpable, with the victims being blamed for existing. Every day – countless acts of antisemitism have... Read more
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