To my friends and family in Israel—

I write to you from afar, but not from a distance of the heart.

As a Reform rabbi and a proud Zionist living in the United States, I find myself part of a vast and deeply committed network of people and institutions who spend countless hours thinking about how best to support and love Israel. In conference rooms and Zoom calls, in synagogue sanctuaries and classrooms, we wrestle with policy, messaging, education, and advocacy. We speak to our congregants, engage the broader community, respond to misinformation, and confront those who would seek to harm or delegitimize the Jewish state.

It is relentless work. And it is holy work.

But whatever we endure here—it is nothing compared to what you are living through.

We consume every piece of news we can find. Israeli media, social media, WhatsApp messages, updates from friends—we are constantly refreshing, constantly checking, constantly worrying. Our hearts are heavy as we watch you endure what no people should have to endure: nights punctuated by sirens, dashes to bomb shelters, evacuation orders, the grinding uncertainty of what comes next.

And still, we know: this is your lived reality, not ours.

For me, this is not only communal—it is deeply personal. My daughter is studying in Jerusalem this year. Not only is my heart in the East—so is my........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)