Why Im so grateful to be an American on this Rosh Hashana

As Jews around the world celebrate Rosh Hashana, our solemn but festive New Year, we reflect on a year that was filled with trouble and turmoil.The outgoing year had hardly begun when Hamas launched its infamous massacre, whose horrors I don’t need to recount.And we were still taking stock of our dead and missing friends and family when, to our astonishment, massive pro-Hamas demonstrations infested New York and cities across the West.Our enemies in the Middle East have launched thousands of missiles at Israeli civilians since then, while enemies here have cranked their anti-Israel extremism up to 11.Our leaders and media equivocate between Israel and her enemies, between campus extremists and the Jews they harass, between good and evil.But as an American Jew, I can also be thankful for a lot.

I’m grateful to live in America, where I am free to pray as my tradition requires.I am even glad to be reminded, however rudely, that I live where free speech thrives.Most of all, I will reflect on how lucky I am to live amongst Americans. When Iran launched its massive attack on Israel on Tuesday night, I was in the car.When I parked and checked my phone, the first alert I saw was from a Catholic former coworker.

She had texted immediately upon seeing the news.She was praying for me, Israel and Jews around the world. In the emotional days after Oct.7, I received dozens of such messages.“The perseverance and strength of the Jewish people will yet again see you through times of tribulation,” wrote one Christian colleague.

“We have your back along the way.The people of Israel live.”Revisiting these notes a year later, many of them still bring me to tears.Few, if any, of those who reached out are devoted Christian Zionists.

They are simply decent Americans.They have good intuitions for right and wrong.  Get the most important developments in the region, globally and locally.

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