- be informed. Don’t stick to random tweets or FB updates but look for a few different media sources to get as balanced a perspective as possible a possible -there is no such thing is objective data right now.
- be part of the solution, not the problem – don’t spread hate and rage and revenge and tired old slogans, and try to not just take one side. Regardless of history – what is needed now is outcry against all bloodshed of innocents and the price of aggression.
The genesis of this war, the claims of sides, the lack of symmetry – all true and complex. But the compassion and humanity that are at our core demand that we rise above even as we pray with passion for the safe return of all – home, to quieter days, to sanity, to a chance to talk and figure out a better way of living together.
- reach out – not to Israel – never mind STANDING WITH ISRAEL right now unless it’s really what you feel strongly about – god knows it’s a daunting task even to many of us Israelis – but – reach out to people here, scared, stunned, worried, anxious – we need a hug, a good word, an email, a phone call – saying – we are family, we care, we are somehow all in this together, can I help in any way? These gestures of solidarity extend far beyond goodwill to give us hope that the world of good is larger than this sliver of reality and that our story is ancient, noble, intertwined and will go on.
I cherish every one (of the rather, sadly, few) notes of care I’ve received from friends abroad. I know that my relatives and friends in the South feel the same when I and others reach out to them. And I know it’s exactly the same for friends in Gaza and the West Bank.
Reach out with care. Don’t just ‘like’ – and don’t underestimate the power of an honest gesture.
- Prayer? Maybe. Find one that works for you. Mediate, for a minute or two, to find serenity and peace within. It starts with each and every one of us curbing our enthusiasm for the rage and passion of conflict.
Amichai Lau Lavie, LabShul
Amichai Lau Lavie, LabShul
