January 29, 2024
As I write this today, it is 116 days, 5 hours, 13 minutes, and 59 seconds since more than 200 Israeli hostages were taken by Hamas during the October 7 massacre. When I heard the news of this incredible tragedy, my heart broke – remembering the five long years that Gilad Shalit was held in Gaza by Hamas and the excruciating deal that Israel struck to release him – a deal in which Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ leader, was let out of Israeli prison along with more than 1,000 other Palestinians, many with blood on their hands.
In the days that followed the October 7 attack, I rode an emotional roller coaster. I was afraid, despairing, and ultimately, extremely angry. In some perverse way, that anger comforted me. I found friends and colleagues that shared the feeling. It felt good to be with people who shared my views and empathized with my emotional state.
It’s day 116 and I’m still angry.
It’s time to take that anger and channel it to make positive changes. So, as passionate Jews who care about Israel and the loss of innocent human life in Gaza, what should we do?
First, raise your voice. Our elected officials and leaders at all levels need to hear from us every day. Unfortunately, the anti-Israel movement has generated significantly larger numbers of calls, letters, and protests, calling for Israel to stop trying to destroy Hamas and rescue the hostages. Don’t delay. Click here to act RIGHT now.
Send personal letters and make calls to your members of Congress urging them to resist calls to limit or condition aid to Israel or stop fighting to destroy Hamas. Call Congress today at (202) 224-3121 and the White House at (202) 456-1111. These calls could not be more important. Literally, lives are on the line.
Second, speak out and make connections. Use your voice to combat disinformation online and in real life. Talk to your friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Find AJC’s amazing resources on our website at www.ajc.org/israelhamaswar. Use them. Circulate them. And keep doing it. Don’t be shy. It’s important that your network hears your voice. They trust your opinion. You don’t have to have a PhD in Middle East history to speak up for Israel. Our resources are updated often, so check back for the latest. Subscribe to AJC’s daily updates at AJC.org/IsraelUpdate (and encourage your friends to do so as well!).
Finally, take care of yourself. Anger and fear are powerful emotions. Giving in to them feeds into Hamas’ goals of intimidating and driving Jews to despair. Take a break periodically. Find ways to recharge. You will be a more effective advocate for Israel and for the hostages.
Throughout our history, the Jewish people have survived multiple attempts to destroy us. Time and again, those who tried to destroy us have disappeared. We’ve stood up as proud Jews and persevered. We will do so again if we all stand up and play a part.
Let’s turn our passion into action.
Am Yisroel Chai!
