I’ve been fighting off an incipient cold, maybe the result of all the running around I’ve been doing. Who knows? But I’ve been writing all day. This is my second draft. First of all, Thank you to my many friends in the United States for sharing messages of encouragement which I then transmit at every opportunity in the form of a hug. You can scarcely know how much this small gesture from you means to the people I’ve met. Just incredibly meaningful and received just as it was intended.

I want to thank in particular my friend Gretchen who is from Philadelphia. She sent me this opinion piece from The New York Times.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/19/opinion/religion-ancient-text-judaism.html?unlocked_article_code=1.PU0.SdUc.Wgf-jG3CbmfA&smid=url-share

I love that Gretchen is doing more than just reading my blog. She and others are thinking about it, processing the not-always-easy nuances, and ultimately participating with me in this process.

Gretchen wrote in regards to the article:

Janet, reading this last night it is exactly what you are doing—this witnessing, letting the stories be told. An act of comfort and healing, yes, showing up…..

By the way this article is also circulating among the members of my mission of the last few days. What an incredible experience. I urge you to read it and join the conversation.

And I want to point out that while stepping up and stepping outside my tribe may be essential, these behaviors are not my typical default. As an American Jew I tend to not share why being Jewish is so important. Now I am trying to go beyond my comfort zone and every day make the additional effort to seek out opportunities to do both.

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Today I hoped to head north to visit Givat Haviva, an organization that’s doing incredible work encouraging Israeli Jews and Arabs to get along  

https://www.givathaviva.org/ 

Because I was a bit under the weather I decided to take it real slow and ended up spending bucolic day visiting with Sima at Cafe Nina in Moshav Hagor. 

I first met Sima when I was working at The Berkeley Women’s Health Collective nearly 45 years ago. She was born in Israel and had grown up in Kfar Saba, where Dina, who often talks about her, lives. Sima’s mother was a concentration camp survivor who moved to Israel after WWll and met Sima’s dad. She and her husband raised their family in Kfar Saba and now both sons live in Tel Aviv.

Hanging out with Sima at the Nina Coffee Cart at Moshav Hagor

I asked Sima how much interaction does she have with Israeli Arabs as their communities are virtually contiguous. Sima explained how things keep evolving. She immediately acknowledged incredible sadness about all loss of life in this horrific war.

She recalled a big disappointment from awhile back. She attended a year long program for adults at Givat Haviva. There were both Jews and Arab Israelis and she became especially close friends with an Arab Israeli woman. They enjoyed socializing even outside of class. Then there was a phone conversation that took on a different tone. Her friend told her that  the problem with Jews is that the Jews want everything to happen now, rush, rush, rush. But her people know how to wait. 

Sima was shocked by the implication. Now they stopped contact.

Idealists might suggest this is exactly the moment to engage and have a conversation. However, we each have our own histories. Sima’s mother survived the concentration camps. Her mom experienced medical experimentation. Many of the second generation (the children of Holocaust survivors) continue live with the traumatic effects of the Shoah. And now since October 7 Sima feels like this is another Shoah. 

Along with everyone I have met on this trip, Sima hopes that the world will start to understand what is happening. She is Israeli and this has always been her home. The world must know that  Hamas has the patience to achieve its genocidal intent. No rush. Hamas continues to sacrifice their civilian population while not negotiating acceptable terms. The IDF is engaged in a war within Gaza to eliminate terrorists, to return all living hostages (we just found out that many have died in cruel captivity), to eradicate the weapons that daily continue to aim at Israeli civilians. Hamas continues to have weapons and continues to launch missles at civilians in Israel. 

On top of this children are being indoctrinated from a very young age that killing the Jews is desirable and achievable. Among other places that are being taught this in UNWRA schools funded by the United Nations. This disheartening image recently came my way…

Is it any wonder that child warriors have been among those who perished in the Hamas war?

 

So what is the outlook I ask Israelis. And what I hear is that they are facing a long war. 

As much as we all wish for an end to loss of life it will take time for Israel to secure borders to allow Israelis to live safely. I am also told ״now, Janet, you are one of us.״

And I acknowledge we are one.

עם ישראל חי “Am Yisroel Chai” the people of Israel live

Tomorrow I will be back in the Hadera- Eiron Region meeting with our P2G (People To-Gether) partners. Our region has a large Arab Israeli population in several communities, notably the large town of Umm-Al-Fahm. I hope to learn more and will continue sharing.