An Ancient City, a Modern Question

I’ve been 48 hours in Jerusalem, fortunate enough to have been selected to participate in The WELL Conference, a gathering of educators at the National Library of Israel. It’s been two years since my last visit, and despite all the hits the country has taken—a year of war, attacks, and constant threats—there’s something that never ceases to amaze me, which is all the construction, the fixing, the improvements.

I mean, to the point where the new central bus station is the image of modern technology: bustling with activity, clean, efficient, really a source of pride, as is the rest of Jerusalem. There is simply no way that you cannot help but notice all the things that have been done here. It’s all the byproduct of our parents, grandparents, and ancestors who, bit by bit, moment by moment, with the sweat of their foreheads, put together this incredible country. And it has been followed by the everyday efforts of the young men and women defending it from foreign enemies and those who seek its destruction.

But even despite everything, it is truly inspiring to see the diversity. You can’t help but notice Arab Israelis, Christian Arabs, Druze, Jews from every corner of the world, and literally people of all backgrounds, side by side. And then there are people from other nationalities who are also very much part of this mosaic.

It dawned on me how little people actually know about this place. How much of the narrative that is pushed—agenda and propaganda—is simply bought as is, without any question or even a shred of doubt, without understanding that there are lives at stake here, and that this has been our land all along.

Having Zohran Mamdani wish the Jews of New York a peaceful Tisha B’Av struck me as a contradiction in itself. Tisha B’Av commemorates the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem thousands of years ago. To acknowledge that day is, at the very least, to acknowledge that Jews have an ancient historical connection to this land. And that contradiction really stayed with me. It made me think how often people repeat talking points without stopping to consider the history behind them.

Being here, very far from New York and every other place, makes that contrast even more striking.

We recently heard of the stabbing that happened in New York. And as a New Yorker, it is devastating to see the status of the Jew changing before our eyes. It’s impossible not to notice it. It’s impossible not to acknowledge it.

And the real question is: What are we going to do about it?

What are we, as a community, going to do? And what are the bystanders going to do? Because these are the writings on the wall that seem to be leading to a very scary place.

I think this is something that should be on all of our minds. History has shown us that things begin with the Jews, but they don’t end with the Jews. There are far too many examples of that throughout history.

So if you’re not going to stand up because you care about Jews, then do it because you care about the kind of society you want to live in. Jews have been part of American history since its very beginnings. They helped build this country. They fought in America’s wars, including on both sides of the Civil War. They have contributed to every aspect of American life and have become part of the very fabric of New York.

I’m not talking about those who knowingly parrot propaganda, or those who are funded to push a particular agenda. I’m talking about the people who genuinely appreciate the American way of life, who appreciate New York, who believe in fairness and in democracy.

To them, I ask:

What are you going to do? What are we all going to do?

Because that is the real question. And leaving that question unanswered can have catastrophic consequences for us all.