How to Support Your Jewish Friends Right Now

There is a war of biblical proportions happening in Israel right now, and Jewish people have not suffered the magnitude of the atrocities committed against them since the Holocaust.

At this writing, over 1200 Jewish people have been brutally slaughtered – women, children, babies, teens, elderly, and men – in the most hideous and callous way by terrorists.

There are reports of over 130 people – including children the same age as mine and yours – kidnapped and brought to the gates of hell in Gaza – where they are being tortured, taunted, raped, and brutalized. Those who have already been murdered, are filmed as their bodies are defiled on the streets to a cheering audience.

There are women just like you and me whose children have been ripped away from them and desperately await news of their well-being.

The carnage that we see – gleefully posted on TikTok by the terrorists, the reports from survivors, and the discovery of dismembered bodies of children- is reminiscent of the Dark Ages when entire villages were decimated.

Most every Jewish person – no matter their religious background or affiliation, has been rocked to their core.

Perhaps it’s because our very existence has once again been put to the test and we’ve been awakened to realize that there are so many people in plain sight that want us wiped off the face of the earth, and just like the Nazis – these monsters succeeded to harm, maim and kill in unspeakable ways.

What can make this worse? When delusional and evil people gather for “counter-protests” to celebrate the murder of babies and children in the streets of New York and Chicago… and they are allowed to do so in the name of ‘free speech’. Can you imagine these counter-protestors cheering and celebrating the deaths of all the victims of 9/11 on the streets of New York City?

My husband and I are both from Israel. We are accustomed to the skirmishes and military operations that occur every so often. While every loss of life is painful, we rarely feel the reverberations of these incidents while we are here in the U.S. or traveling abroad.

But this is different. The Jewish community is deeply affected. So, if you have a friend, colleague, or acquaintance who is Jewish, they may seem understandably ‘off’ these days.

How can you help? Show your support in a way that’s natural for you. Maybe that’s a text, a phone call, or just an acknowledgment that we are not alone and that you share in our collective grief.

Here are some conversation starters you may find helpful:

1. Hi. How are you?
2. Just checking in to see if you are doing ok.
3. How can I be there for you?
4. Sending you and your family love and support through this difficult time in history.
5. I wish I could be there to hug you. Please know that I am sending you all the virtual hugs.