What exactly makes this duck Jewish?

I don’t leave my house much. This has definitely become my modus operandi since October 7th after becoming the #Miluima that I am. But when I do leave my house? I fly all the way to Atlanta, Georgia. That’s not entirely true, it was also Florida, Dallas, Houston and New York, and all in the span of one week. With thanks to the World Zionist Organization, about a month ago, I was invited to the US as part of a tour called “We Will Rise Again, to speak about my experience as an army reservist’s wife, Miluima as I call it, sharing with Jewish communities abroad about what life has been like here since everything turned upside down a year in half ago.

Bazy, delivering her speech at the Atlanta Israel Coalition luncheon

But let’s talk about the duck. That’s why you clicked on this article, right? So when I was in Atlanta for the day, I was invited to speak at a Jewish women’s luncheon, and was told to be in touch with Cheryl Dorchinsky. I took an Uber (all by myself, yay me!) and got to the synagogue where 80 women were going to meet up and hear my story. I was in need of a carry-on with wheels, and since I never really leave the house and it’s been more than 15 years since I was in the US, I asked Cheryl to point me in the right direction to purchase a carry-on. Instead, Cheryl took me to her home and presented me with a duck.

A JEWISH DUCK, of course. And what makes this duck Jewish? The Magen David paper kipa on his head, the Magen David chain around his neck, and the fact that on the note attached to this duck’s car, there is a note that says: “SHALOM! Conquackulations! You found a very special Kosher cruising duck! Keep or hide, you decide”. You see, Cheryl is a powerhouse who lives and breathes Am Yisrael, and specifically, Zionism. So naturally, when she went on a cruise with her family, she brought all of these Jewish ducks she had annointed, and hid them all over the ship for people to play a game, and have a moment to reflect upon their own thoughts regarding Judaism and the Jewish people.

The duck Cheryl sent Bazy home with, that lives proudly on Bazy’s army reservist husbands’ desk.

Cheryl and I went on to spend the rest of the afternoon together as she chaperoned the lost child from the rolling hills of Judea (me) around Atlanta. And it was beshert because Cheryl is a mover and a shaker. And I needed to learn something (or maybe everything) from her. Cheryl is very active within the Jewish community and has been pouring her heart and soul into one initiative after another. She stands up and gets loud about antisemitism. She is vocal about supporting the Jewish people and the land of Israel. She hides Jewish ducks everywhere, and I’d totally pick her to be on my team if ever I was in a boxing ring.

Cheryl Dorchinsky and Bazy Rubin

Recently, Cheryl shared on the Atlanta Jewish Times the following, and I asked her permission to share this message with all readers of TOI and ducks alike:

When I fought for women’s rights, I was told, “You can’t be both a Zionist and a feminist.” When I marched to affirm that Black lives matter, my Jewish identity and support for Israel rendered me unwelcome. When I joined Pride marches, my Star of David — an unmistakable symbol of Jewish pride and resilience — was perceived as threatening.

Motivated by these experiences, I founded the Atlanta Israel Coalition — a proactive, powerful voice dedicated to unity, education, and advocacy against antisemitism and misinformation worldwide. Zionism is not about politics or governments; it’s the fundamental belief that Jewish people, like all peoples, deserve a safe and sovereign homeland. Criticism of specific Israeli policies is legitimate — but anti-Zionism denies our fundamental right to safety and sovereignty. Anti-Zionism, therefore, isn’t merely criticism of Israeli policies, it’s a denial of Jewish self-determination, emboldening those who openly chant for our destruction “from the river to the sea.” Calls for “intifada” aren’t advocacy; they’re incitements of violence and murder.

I have received death threats and vicious hate from outside our community, something tragically familiar to those who stand openly and proudly for Israel. What I never anticipated was encountering such hostility from within our Jewish community simply for supporting our people’s right to live safely in our ancestral homeland.

Living in Israel, I sometimes feel like all eyes are on me, and our nation, in our land. But so many Jewish warriors around the globe are standing up for what is just and what is right. With Cheryl, every story is more wild than the last, in the best way possible. I encourage anyone who has friends and family abroad, to check in on them. Encourage them. Lets be there for one another. Cheryl checked in on me this morning, while I was worrying about her and the craziness she has to fight against for our sake. That to me is Am yisrael.

I don’t leave my home often. I really try and stay focused on what’s in front of me. Because we’ve all been in survival mode for a year in a half now. But when I do leave my home, just for a tiny bit, I get to meet the most courageous, extraordinary people… And their ducks. And I’ll tell you, I don’t have all my ducks in a row at all but Cheryl? She promised me 5 more ducks on her next trip to Israel, which is going to be very very soon.

Cheryl ended her letter as follows:

I invite you to stand with me — join the fight against antisemitism, educate your communities, and actively confront hatred.

And I want to say back to Cheryl, you are not alone, my friend, and everything you are doing for Am Yisrael is much, much appreciated.

Am Yisrael Chai!