On the surface, there's not so much in common between Nepal and Israel, two distant countries and seemingly divergent cultures. That's true. I've never been to Nepal, but it's been a dream. One day. Meanwhile, I have been privileged to connect with wonderful Nepalese in Israel, and people in Nepal who love Israel and whose wish to be in Israel is based on a strong love for Israel based on their faith as Christians. I have had the unique privilege of experiencing this in many ways.

A year ago, I was in Dallas and called an Uber. Mindful of my outward appearance as an Orthodox Jew, my radar was up as antisemitism has become so much more prevalent and permissive. When my car arrived and before I had even shut the door, the driver asked if I was Israeli. I thought to myself that this was not going to go well. I said I was, noticing a small figure of what appeared to be a Hindu god on the dashboard. I was prepared for a hostile attack, but my driver, who later identified himself as Nepalese, launched a harsh attack on Islamic terrorists and how he not only stands with Israel but wished for Israel to eliminate Hamas. Encouraging, uplifting, and not what I expected.

Connected to the war, a little more than a year earlier and immediately after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and massacre, my youngest son was in a pre-army program, that pivoted from its normal curriculum to one where they traveled across the country helping out in any way possible, dealing with things in the immediate aftermath of the war, cleaning out communal bomb shelters,........

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