We are at war...not just in theory

It’s Friday, and I wanted to take a few moments to share what the past several days have been like here in Israel.



We are at war—and not just in theory or headlines, but in a way that has become deeply personal and disruptive to everyday life. Over the last 24 hours alone, we’ve had to take cover multiple times, including being jolted awake in the middle of the night. There is nothing quite like the sound of a siren breaking the silence of sleep, followed by the scramble to get to shelter.

In addition to the sirens, we’ve been receiving alerts on our phones. These warnings don’t always mean immediate danger, but they tell us we have about five minutes to be ready. They are super loud and can send you into a panic. It’s a strange kind of tension—waiting, listening, staying close to a shelter just in case the siren sounds in your city. When it does, we move quickly into our protective room and wait, often listening for the distant booms that follow.

This video was shot by my niece the other day in an apartment very close to us. It shows an Iranian cluster munition, releasing dozens of smaller bombs. Not only is this against international law, but it can also evade our defense system because there are so many. 

A few missiles have gotten through in recent days. Tragically, there were casualties in Ramat Gan—lives lost that remind us this is not just a defensive exercise, but a real and ongoing threat. We are also aware that several Palestinians have died as well. The Iranian regime that cries Free Palestine is pure propaganda, as they do not care at all if they kill Palestinian Muslims. War brings suffering on multiple sides, and that reality is never easy to process.

At the same time, something else has been deeply troubling: the surge of misinformation and antisemitism surrounding this conflict. In the wake of Joe Kemp’s resignation, some have seized the moment to push the narrative that this is “Israel’s war,” and that we have somehow forced the United States into fighting alongside us. Kent ran straight into the arms of Tucker Carlson to give an interview. 

That claim is not just inaccurate—it’s absurd. If it were even possible for Israel to compel the United States into war, it would have happened long ago, likely during the first Trump administration. Israel is a small nation making decisions for its own survival. The idea that we control global powers is an old and dangerous lie, now being repackaged in real time.

Here on the ground, the reality is far less conspiratorial and far more human. Families are staying close to home. Parents are calming frightened children. Sleep is interrupted. Plans are postponed. Life narrows to the essentials: safety, community, prayer. We were planning to visit our children and my parents in April, but now flights are canceled until June. 

And yet, there is also resilience. People check on one another. Messages of encouragement circulate. There is a quiet determination to endure, even in uncertainty. We have friends from central Israel coming for Shabbat dinner tonight. 

I wanted you to hear this not as a news report, but as a personal update—from someone living it. Thank you for your prayers, your messages, and your continued support. It means more than you know.

Shabbat Shalom,