Shalom friends,
As we begin this new year together, I want to pause and acknowledge the weight of the past two years. For many of us, it has been a time filled with fear, pain, and uncertainty. For some of us, it has also been a time of resilience, connection, and deep reflection.
The 48 hostages who remain in captivity are constantly on our minds. Their families’ longing and the entire nation’s pain remind us daily of the urgency of bringing them home. Alongside this, the challenges of Israel’s politics and policies and the ongoing war create a reality that is hard to process.
Perhaps we can give ourselves, and those around us, permission to acknowledge that it is okay to feel conflicted, to feel deep love for Israel and at the same time frustration, to grieve for Israeli lives while also caring for Palestinian lives, to worry about where the State of Israel is heading, whether the promises of a liberal democracy we feel so proud and connected to are slipping away, and how we can extend and empower the values we stand for so they better shape Israel’s future. Holding these emotions together is not a sign of drifting away, but another expression of care and responsibility.
And, it is equally okay to feel steady and unwavering in your support for Israel.
Each of us has the right to choose when to voice criticism and when to show support, and those choices may look different from one person to another. That does not mean one feels any less deeply or that one’s moral stance is diminished. For many, emotions remain clear and strong about Israel: the sense of home, the profound kinship with the people of Israel and the unbearable reality they are living through, the resolve about who we are fighting, and a sharp awareness and understanding of what open criticism can lead to.
That, too, is real, valuable, and no less worthy of respect.
Each of us has our own way of being connected – whether it’s through complexity or clarity. But one thing feels important for me to name: my people, the people of Israel, we need you. We need you all, in your fullness and diversity, the ones who wrestle and question, and the ones who speak with certainty. We need the balance of voices that push us, steady us, and remind us who we are. Every one of you matters.
I am here to walk alongside you in this journey of building a bridge between the people of Israel and Colorado. If there are questions you are struggling with, conversations you want to have, or even silences you need respected, I hope you know that I am available to you.
These past weeks, I’ve spoken with parents who send children to college with brave faces while carrying fear in their hearts. I’ve met young adults navigating Jewish identity while holding worry for family in Israel, friends in the IDF, or wondering what this prolonged and challenging war means for their relationship to Israel. I’ve met leaders criticized for saying too little or for saying too much, and community members who feel alone until someone dares to say, “I am with you.”
My wish for this new year is that we give ourselves permission to feel, whether conflicted or clear, and that we create spaces where difference does not threaten our existence but instead becomes fertile ground for growth. I hope we can hold on to hope, not as idle optimism, but as a necessity and an act of agency.
I hope that even in moments of pain or loneliness, we can find joy in small things: a good cup of coffee (though you might need to go to Israel for that!), an unexpected smile, or the relief of being truly heard.
I pray for the safe return of the hostages, for comfort to grieving families, for wisdom among leaders, and for compassion to guide us all.
History reminds us that the destruction of the Temples was caused not by the hatred of others, but by ‘sinat chinam,’ baseless hatred, between us.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Hersh’s mother, said, “Hate is easy. Love is hard.” As we enter this new year, may we have the courage to choose the harder path, the path of love, especially toward those who think differently, because it is the only one that will carry us forward.
With hope, gratitude, and an open heart,
שנה טובה
Nelly