How I'm doing

In the days since the brutal attack on Israeli civilians by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, I’ve had a lot of friends and neighbors reach out to me to show their support. They’ve been kind and unassuming, often doing the thing we know to do these days and not even asking for a reply. But I feel like I owe it to myself to come up with something more personal to say about all of this, which I’m going to do below.

Before I do, if you haven’t yet, please read the longer historical piece I wrote earlier this week. It’s got my much more reported out, research-driven take on the hundred-year context behind both the attacks and an Israeli response that now appears to be moving toward genocide:

There are also some good mutual aid efforts for peace and to help Israeli and Palestinian victims of the war including the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, Gisha, and B’Tselem. Also see Daria Carmon (@nehedari on Instagram), who is buying food and other supplies for Israeli families near the Gaza border (her Venmo is @Daria-Carmon). You don’t need scripture to tell you do this, but here’s some Isaiah for you anyway:

No, this is the fast I desire: To unlock fetters of wickedness, and untie the cords of the yoke; to let the oppressed go free; to break off every yoke.

It is to share your bread with the hungry, and to take the wretched poor into your home; when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to ignore your own kin.

Then will your light burst through like the dawn, and your healing spring up quickly. Your Vindicator will march before you. The presence of Adonai will be your rear guard.

I’m going to duck beneath the paywall now, not as a cash grab, but to make sure that the people reading this are friends who support my work. (If you can’t afford it, reach out and we’ll work something out. If you can, please subscribe! You can also gift a subscription to someone else.)