Hello again, friends. It’s hard to find time to write these days, but I wanted to continue to talk about what it’s like to be here in Israel during a war. I pray that the hostages and soldiers will return very soon, but as horrible and heartbreaking as this war is, there’s also a spirit of all-hands-on-deck that’s absolutely inspiring.
First, there was the blood drive. I heard that so many volunteers showed up on the first day, there was a five hour wait in some places. Baruch Hashem, I finally made my own donation this week. I used to be a real crybaby when it came to needles, so my participation represents a personal breakthrough for me, but in truth, it was no big deal. Actually, I barely felt it. The phlebotomist was excellent.
Then, there’s City of Gold Apartments. Normally, they’re property managers, but right now, they’re coordinating a huge effort to place evacuees from the south in vacant apartments in Jerusalem. I feel privileged to be one of their volunteers. There’s an inspiring video showing their work on Facebook, but I’m having trouble sharing it here on Substack. But here’s the link to donate to their cause, and here are some pictures:
And here’s the Jewish rap artist Nissim Black playing a concert for the soldiers:
There’s so much bad news out there, so many tragic stories. The people who’ve fallen in this war deserve to be remembered. We can’t completely look away. But this particular post is meant to focus on the positive. Israel is coping through this horrible time by giving to others in need. So I urge you to do the same for the people within your reach, and to stretch that reach a little further. It’s the best path to peace.
Beautiful 💙
Love this Kressel! 🥰