Since Oct. 7, I’ve gone to a number of pro-Israel gatherings. It’s comforting to be among other Jews and feel uplifted and inspired during such a dark time.
I know that when I attend these events, everyone has the same perspective as me. We are all deeply hurt, concerned about antisemitism and determined to unite and win this war. I sing along with “HaTikvah,” agree with every speech and cheer when people yell, “Am Yisrael Chai!”
I also think: Are we in an echo chamber?
While these gatherings are so important, our Jewish and Israel advocacy must extend outside of our own circles. I learned this lesson when, in the aftermath of Oct. 7, my family members, who are not Jewish – I’m a convert – had a hard time understanding how scared I was. One family member told me that when she was working in a Jewish neighborhood during Rosh Hashanah, she couldn’t believe the amount of police presence that was there. “That’s the reality I deal with every day,” I told her. “Unfortunately, people hate us.”
Another family member asked me if I have any friends in Israel. “I do, but all 7 million people over there are my family members, too,” I told them.
As a convert, I understand the different mentalities people have. For instance, when I went off to college, my Middle Eastern studies professor was anti-Israel, so I became anti-Israel, too – even though I previously knew nothing about Israel and Palestine.
He told our class that after the Holocaust, a bunch of Jewish lawyers went in and sneakily stole land from the Palestinians, and that the Israelis were oppressing the Palestinians still. I trusted and believed him, since he was in a position of authority. I never thought that a professor could be biased or lie to me. I also never connected being anti-Israel to being antisemitic.
Later, when I started dating Daniel, who is now my husband, and I learned the truth about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I felt so betrayed by my professor. I also realized that there are so many people out there like me, people who have absolutely no stake in the conflict but learn about it through a professor or social media or a biased news source and think it’s the truth.
Here’s another example: Before I became Jewish, I went to Shabbat dinners at my local Chabad and Daniel’s family’s house. In those spaces, I learned the truth about Orthodox Judaism and saw just how beautiful it is. Previously, I’d only seen negative portrayals of Orthodox Jews in the media. Again, I realized that the institutions I’d trusted had deceived me.
It’s not easy to come to this realization. You start questioning your belief system. You question your entire identity. It’s a tough reckoning that requires you to squash your ego in pursuit of the truth. You might even have to admit that you were wrong – and people don’t have an easy time doing that. They’d rather keep on lying instead of doing necessary self-reflection.
At this time, it’s so important to build bridges with people who are not part of the Jewish community.
That’s what we’re up against. And that’s why, at this time, it’s so important to build bridges with people who are not part of the Jewish community. We shouldn’t engage with radicals, but we should have meaningful conversations with level-headed people who are willing to listen to our point of view. This can be as simple as talking to people online and off, encouraging them to visit Israel or inviting someone to a Shabbat dinner. Let others see the beauty of our religion, our culture and our homeland for themselves and then decide. One thing is for sure: Creating human to human connections is what’s going to make a real difference.
I encourage you to keep going to pro-Israel rallies and events. I encourage you to meet up with your Jewish friends. But I also want you to think about the connections you can cultivate with others outside of our community. Extend your hand to them and welcome them in.
By uniting as a Jewish community, finding allies and knowing that Hashem is here for us, we will prevail.
Have you advocated for Israel in unique ways? Email me: Kylieol@JewishJournal.com.
Kylie Ora Lobell is the Community Editor of the Jewish Journal.
