Do you remember that Hanukkah party we used to host at my house growing up?
What about a Passover Seder? Had you come to us to celebrate?
Shabbat dinner? Lit candles with my family and I, eaten a meal and had good conversation?
Maybe you were at my Bat Mitzvah and celebrated with my family and I.
Perhaps you forgot I was even Jewish. After all, I "don't look Jewish." It's also my own fault. I was conflicted within my own identity and perhaps even fought so hard for my secularism and multiculturalism that you didn't realize I was Jewish.
Then I came to Israel on that fateful first trip with my Uncle and Aunt in 2009.
That "thing" that always made me feel a little bit like an outsider, suddenly gave me connection to a whole land of diverse and interesting Jews from all over the world. Suddenly my own history didn't feel so distant and disconnected.
I walked the land of the Maccabees (who rose up and fought their Greek oppressors).
I looked across the Judean desert and said "Next year in Jerusalem"... While looking at Jerusalem.
I ate Arab hummus and let me tell you... It's so freaking good.
I explored ancient ruins and held the history of my own people in my hands.
Through this, I fell in love with Judaism, the Jewish people, and Israel (Zion). I fell in love with a part of myself that I hadn't felt before. An ancient and deep part that felt like I was home. This home and connection has not ceased to surprise me over the past 12 years of living here. It is imperfect and can be continually contradictory yet passionate and alive.
Our society, western civilization has been subverted. The left has moved so far left that their values have aligned with far right Islamic extremism. Terrorism.
These masked masses of Kaffiyeh wearing "trend setters" are tearing the fabrics of democracy and freedom of thought apart.
Centrists. Modernists. Rational thinkers. Friends. Now is not the time for silence. It's the time for action. Discussion.
Now is the time for peace.
Right now.
It's bigger than me though. I'm one voice trying to speak out truth to what feels like an endless cassim of noise and mindless chanting.
No real peace can happen this way.
For 250 days I've tried to offer my voice. While for 250 days I've watched the world flip upside down and vilify my people. These 250 days have felt like a worldwide betrayal.
I've chanted that Black Lives matter... because they do.
I've shared in the pain of millions of women and shouted #metoo and #bringbackourgirls .
I believe in immigrants rights and their power to add to our collective society.
I believe that love is love.
I've shared interfaith discussions with Muslims, Christians, and Buddhists.
Yet when Jews need help, courage, solidarity, where is the world?
The silence is deafening. Extremists are the only ones shouting. So as a centrist, rational thinker, and realist, I say... Peace now. End the war. It's been going on for 8 months too long.
Demand that Hamas (a terrorist organization) give back the hostages. Demand a change of leadership that can actually help Gazans rebuild and find dignity in this world. Demand that calling for the death of human life is unacceptable anywhere in the world. Period.
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