By necessity we have been very involved in our own lives.  From the beginning of this war, for example the news on tv has extended its hours to cover most of the day, but it covers primarily local news – what rockets have fallen, what damage has been done, who has been injured, etc.  

And for us, in a specific area, the concern is specific.  Does it affect my area, my neighborhood, my group?  

It isn’t surprising, then, that we don’t react with great shame at the criticism that we don’t care enough for the people of Gaza.  We can’t.  We’ve got enough problems of our own.

But the latest onslaught on the North by Hizballah and Iran has really aroused our sympathy.  We know what it means to run for cover, and are appreciative of the early warning system that allows us to put on our shoes and coat before the race to the shelter, and know the north doesn’t have that.  We also know there are many villages that have no protection at all.  There is no way not to include all the population of the north in our prayers for safety and our consciousness.

I haven’t been in an Arab village since October, 2023, but I remember writing to a friend with a concrete factory in the north that they would do well to build shelters – and being answered with patience that it was an impossible request.  So they will have to suffice with my prayers, I guess.