A Heart- 6,000 miles away

I know how hard it is to be on the other side of the world when the land that has your heart is in distress.

I remember during the war in 2014, I was living in NJ and feeling like I was obsessing over every news article, every headline.

I couldn't stop thinking about it, worrying about it, crying over it.

I just wanted to be in Israel, with my people.

Not that there was anything that I could do in particular.

It wasn't that anyone specifically needed anything from me.

Or that I had any special skills to offer at the time.

I just felt like my heart was 6,000 miles away from my body.

My home, my people were in distress. They were fighting, they were grieving- and I just wanted to be with them.

If you are in the diaspora right now and your heart is broken and you miss this place- I see you.

If you wish you were here even though we are facing the threat of annihilation

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Writing exercise:

Take a few moments to reflect on how you are feeling about the situation in Israel right now?

Where are you in all of this?

How can you relate?

Does it feel far away or right at your front door regardless of where you are?

- because you love your homeland and your people- I see you.

If you are praying with all your heart and soul right now-

I see you and I thank you.

We say that the Jewish people are "k'ish echad b'lev echad"- like one person with one heart.

And when I was a kid and learned that- I couldn't conceptualize the depths of what that means.

It means that you can live across the world and you know that an essential part of your body and soul are always with your people- for the celebration and mourning. Feeling fear and hope.

If this post feels like you- know that we see you. It's the nine days and right now you are channeling the healing of this time. The love that we have for each other and this place is what ultimately brings redemption.

It is power of this connection binds us all together no matter where we are on this planet.

You are tapping into love and belonging to the Jewish identity and destiny.

And as painful as it can be to feel like your heart is breaking far away-

it is a truly beautiful and miraculous thing.