A recent skit from the Israeli show Eretz Nehederet (“A Wonderful Country”) has been circulating widely. In it, an Israeli man and an American Jewish woman meet at Ben Gurion Airport. Each believes they are escaping a “dangerous situation.” Their relief in finding someone who understands dissolves the moment they reveal their destinations: she is making aliyah to Israel, and he is moving from Israel to New York. Each is convinced the other is running in the wrong direction.

The skit is written for humor. It lands more like a mirror.

JFK ➡️ TLV
New York it’s been real ???????????? @Eretz_Nehederet pic.twitter.com/FRjd6uMX3w

— Emily Austin (@emilyraustin) November 6, 2025

Fear has become the undercurrent of Jewish life over the last two years. It shapes decisions, divides communities, and colors how we see one another. In New York, questions about staying or leaving have become urgent and emotionally charged. One father whispered to me, “I don’t want to be the last one on the train.” A mother confided that she now sees attacks on Jewish schools as “inevitable.” Inside homes, the conversations have grown tense: fight or flee, speak up or stay quiet, trust or retreat.

Our synagogue’s rabbi recently urged us to reach across ideological lines, reminding us that unity has carried our people through darker........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)