War writings
Read through all the content we've collected since the war. You can use the search bar below to find specific content or select from our most popular categories to read their posts.
Broken Hearts
Some people wear their heart on their sleevesTo show it off to all aroundMine lays heavy, tied round my neckIt’s weight, it’s worth I’ve avowed Some people’s hearts protected and safeAwait that pure moment of loveMine lay in darkness, quaking with fearWith shouts to the heavens above Some people know the feel of heartbreakThat moment […]
Wearing My Heart on My Wrist and Around My Neck
Some of my earliest childhood memories were going through both my grandmother’s and mother’s jewelry boxes. I loved trying on the shiny and sparkly pins, rings, bracelets and necklaces, imagining being old enough to wear “real” jewelry. My first piece of jewelry that represented something more than a birthday or a bat mitzvah gift was […]
AL ELE ANI BOCHIYA
AL ELE ANI BOCHIYA1 Hashem, and the Heavenly Court, enterthe Beit Knesset on Rosh Hashanahto open The Books.2 uNetaneh Tokef3 softly wafts through the hall andHashem opens the first page of The Book;tears unexpectedly fall from His eyes. the angels of the Heavenly Court are bewildered–Hashem turns over the page and tearscontinue to fall like […]
Waiting for Friday
Some days you can try to close your eyes and ears to the world and the war and just focus on your immediate family and your life. But in order to do that you can’t listen to the radio in the morning where they interview the families of hostages. Or the families of soldiers who […]
The Forgotten
You don’t care when our soldiers are killed.You don’t care when our elderly are murdered.You don’t care when our women are raped.You don’t care when our men are brutally slaughtered.You don’t care when our children are tortured.You don’t care when our babies are executed. You don’t care when our soldiers are held hostage.You don’t care […]
Eternal Light – Ner Tamid
I see faces I do not knowAnd my heart is breakingI see names I do not knowAnd my soul aches BraveSelflessPatriots Each one held closely in the hearts of their loved onesEach one with a story yet to unfoldFrozen in timeThe light forever paused But the light is not extinguishedAs their blessed memories live onIn […]
Day 85
It could be meNowNext weekNext monthMany years from now It could be my childrenNowNext weekNext monthMany years from now It could be my grandchildrenMany years from nowIn their now, their lifetime,To their childrenTo their grandchildren Where does it end?How does it end?Who will it end? A living nightmareFor the captivesFor the familiesFor the nationThis is […]
Be the Light in the Dark
Before that day we were wholeRejoicing in life’s small pleasuresOblivious to the shadows encroaching.Killers came, prepared with the blackest of soulsEvil came to our door – to break us. AndNow we see the purest of hate in plain sight. Betrayed by the worldExtremists dressed as liberalsTotal denial of the horrors and hostagesResponding with darkness – […]
Words
Words matter. The army here is called the Israel Defense Forces. The “defense” is there for a reason. While the IDF is out defending our country, we’ll be here defending against - antisemitism - misinformation - extermination. The world we’re defending ourselves against is the same one we’re fighting for. And we’ll win.
Truth
We wish it weren’t true that babies were murdered. We wish it weren’t true that over 200 people were kidnapped. We wish it weren’t true that fuel is being used to throw thousands upon thousands of rockets. We wish it weren’t true that hospitals are used for weapon storage. We wish it weren’t true that […]
Day 12
It has been nearly two weeks.Somehow time has managed to crawl by and speed past.We have been living in a weird alternate reality.There isn’t any routine. School is still not functional.Rockets are still falling. My kids discuss how many ‘booms’ they have heard each day.The fighter jets still roar above us.The funerals continue.So many families […]
Seeing Green in Southern Israel
On the drive down to Kibbutz Sa’ad, I alternate between gazing out the window and trying to get the Homefront Command app to work on my phone. It’s November 5, the first time in a month I’ve left the environs of my city in central Israel, save the five-minute visit to my son on an […]
Flowers and War – פרחים ומלחמה
Translated from the Hebrew by Hila Bar Planting flowers in my Sderot garden, my hand felt the earth that day.And then my heart knew that to light up the soul, we have to keep fear at bay. My legs marched on along familiar roads; my eyes welled with tears of the past.But my heart […]
A Ghazal Written at the Time of War
Us with our wandering stars and souls, Jews,Candles, kippahs and torah scrolls, Jews. The only things we have, Hashem and Jerusalem,Our ancient walls have been ruined again, Jews. Told repeatedly, you look like ugly moles,Always persecuted but never controlled, Jews. Herded and annihilated, our Jewish ancestors,Only to be told, you’re greedy go-getters, Jews. They keep […]
Swords of Iron – חרבות ברזל
Translated from the Hebrew by Hila Bar Across the yardWhere the Sukkah still stoodWe could hear the beat to the drums of war As we danced and rejoicedWith the holy Torah,I warily turned the lock of the door A missile blastSet the sky aglowWith such a roar I as yet did not know Early worshippers […]
War Diaries: Day 45
22 November, 2023 Day 45: Sparks of Light in the Darkness – Hope, Heartbreak, and Unexpected Advocacy The last time I wrote an entry for my war diaries was day 32. I just haven’t been able to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and write my thoughts for the last two weeks. We’re […]
War Diaries: Days 28 and 30
10 November, 2023 Day 28 – Yellow Ribbons Friday morning we woke up to join a scheduled run for three of the hostages, who have family in Raanana. We ran for Naama Levy, 19 years old, who was captured and taken hostage to Gaza. There’s video footage of her being bundled into a jeep, with […]
Diary Entry: Days 28 and 29 – Heart Stickers
Written from Tel Aviv Port There is no shelter here, reads the sign blowing in the wind taped to the glass door. I have walked from one end of the namal (port) to the other looking for a cafe, not a restaurant that serves fish or chicken. I want a salad and a hot coffee […]
War Diaries: Day 25 – A Ray of Hope in the Darkness
3 November, 2023 On Monday night we had a sliver of light in the darkness. We rejoiced at the brave rescue of one of the hostages, Ori Megidish, 19 years old, from a Gaza tunnel, by the IDF. A young girl who was taken, is now back with her family, back home. Together with the […]
Diary Entry: Days 24 and 25 – Sugar
We are all adjusting to the new “normal”. The cells in our body are now attuned to differentiate sound. Sensitive to the difference between thunder and fighter planes roaring in the distance. Attuned now to the acceleration of a motorcycle and an air raid siren. (In Jerusalem there were six the first day, plus one […]
Untitled Passage
8 October, 2023 It’s my daughter yelling “airplane!” in excitement as a fighter jet flies overhead. It’s my little nephew coming home early from shul to put on his uniform and go before the dancing has even begun. It’s the mothers at kiddush swapping rumors and news as their sons and husbands are called up, […]
Broken Thoughts
A morning with 2 pairs of namesWhich ones will set the toneThe lives of two so tragically lostOr the other two, finally home 2 angels departed2 more just returned The rays of sunlightFight battles with the shadowsOf darkness as nighttime departsThe brightness of daytimeBrings hope for tomorrowWhile tears flow each time evening starts I kept […]