by Michael Horowitz, JFGA CEO/President

I had hoped to return to normal this week. Back in my office after spending a glorious time in Israel with fellow Atlantans on our community mission, I was then confronted with the tragic news about the discovery of the three kidnapped Israeli teenagers who were found brutally murdered. Our community quickly planned a memorial service for the boys to express condolences to their families. These boys, our boys, and their families are 6000 miles from Atlanta and while did not know them personally, we considered them part of our Jewish family. Unfortunately, while making plans to honor Gilad, Naftali, and Eyal, we were told that a young Palestinian, 16 year old Mohammed Abu Khudair was found brutally slain – allegedly by the hands of six Jewish terrorists. So with heavy hearts, we paid honor to Mohammed, spoke out and condemned the murder of an innocent child – no matter what his race or religion. This horrific act is not us. Rachel Fraenkel, the mother of Naftali said “…the shedding of innocent blood is against morality, is against the Torah and Judaism, and is against the foundation of the lives of our boys and of all of us in this country”.

As I write this, we are getting endless news and reports about the nonstop, crush of rockets being thrust on our family in Israel and sirens blasting further and further north from Gaza, than ever before. We ask ourselves, “Is there another country in the world that would be expected to tolerate hundreds of rockets raining down on their civilian population every day?” Unfortunately, time and again, the media portrays these terrorists as “innocent perpetrators” while in reality, they are shrouded in the neighborhoods of innocent women, children, and non-combatant civilians

What the news does not reflect are the thousands of families who run to their bomb shelters morning, noon, and night. Nor does the media reflect the disruption to the thousands of families whose loved ones have been activated to serve in their military for an unknown amount of time. There is no exposure to the world of the fear and trauma that a mother feels walking with her children, sending them off to school, taking them to day care, or bringing them with her to the grocery store

There is nothing normal about Israel. There never has been. From their unlikely survival to their extraordinary military and economic success, they have always defied the norm. None of these extraordinary realities were ever imagined. Now, they are fact.

So while my preference is my “normal” life in Atlanta, the world doesn’t allow it. Perhaps next week things will be better. Today, they are not.

Shabbat Shalom

Michael Horowitz

CEO/President