4 | FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 

PURELY COMMENTARY

M

y name is Michal 
Neuman; I am a 
proud ShinShinit 
in Metro Detroit. ShinShin is 
a Hebrew acronym for Shnat 
Sherut (year 
of service). 
Each year, 
Federation’s Israel 
and Overseas 
Department 
brings 
ShinShinim for 
a year of service 
where we work in Detroit’s 
community, running programs 
and making connections.
I spend my days at 
Federation, Hillel Day School, 
Temple Shir Shalom and any-
where else that is looking for 
a little Israel infusion. I am so 
happy and grateful to be part of 
this incredible community, and 
I enjoy every moment of my 
service.
Although I thoroughly enjoy 
my time here, the past weeks 
have been extremely difficult. 
In my hometown of Jerusalem, 
two brutal terrorist attacks took 
place. Both on Friday night, Jan. 
27, as Jews walked to and from 
their synagogues for Shabbat 
services. 
When I saw the news, I was 
heartbroken. Seven people were 
killed just for being Jewish. My 
initial thought was that I had 
to get on the first flight home, 
back to Jerusalem. How could I 
leave my country during a time 
like this? I read about each of 
the victims and felt like I had 
lost friends and family mem-
bers I had known my whole life. 
That is part of what it means to 
be Israeli and one of the main 

reasons I am here this year.
I wasn’t sure how I could 
carry on with my weekend 
working at a Shabbaton for 
Hillel Day School. How could 
life go back to normal? Seven 
of my sisters and brothers had 
just lost their lives. I followed 
the news closely throughout the 
weekend, worrying about my 
friends and family, knowing I 
have very little control over the 
situation being so far away. That 
is part of being a teenager in 
Israel, praying that your friends 
make it home safely from a fun 
night out and that your family 
members return home from 
work and school every day.
The following day, there were 
two more attacks. Thankfully, 
there were no serious injuries. 
The next day I was getting 
ready for Sunday school, carry-
ing on as usual. Here, nothing 
stopped. Restaurants were still 
open, buses were still operating 
and life went on. 
In Israel, every national trage-
dy is a personal tragedy. Life for 
Israelis throughout the country 
stops, and everyone feels the 
devastation of losing a loved 
one. 
By Monday Feb. 6, everyone 
had moved on. People here 
returned to their weekly rou-
tines while I was still struggling. 
It feels incredibly lonely mourn-
ing a loss no one expects you to 
be so impacted by. How do you 
explain the sense of family we 
have in Israel? I have 9 million 
family members I think about 
and worry about daily.
I am going back home in a 
few weeks to visit family and 
friends. Returning home after 

leaving always feels funny, but 
safety is a concern this time. 
I take the bus daily; I eat at 
restaurants and go shopping 
at the mall. Most people in the 
United States don’t think much 
about these simple daily tasks, 
but for me, it feels like life or 
death. 
When I initially heard about 
the attacks, I read all about 
them on an Israeli news site. I 
checked American news chan-
nels to see what they reported. 
I was shocked that most news 
sites didn’t even write about 
the attacks, and those that did 
mentioned the prior IDF raid 
in Jenin, criticizing Israel. Other 
news sites reported all the 
deaths as “alleged.
” 
Reading those reports about 
Israel was painful; it felt like a 
stab in the back. The casualties 
would not be “alleged” if they 
reported news from countries 
other than Israel. Israel’s pre-
vious governmental decisions 
would not be criticized in the 
same report as a terrorist attack. 
The double standard is unfair, 
and it is dangerous. Innocent 
people were murdered, yet the 
killing was justified and under-
stood by the media.

WE ARE STRONG
Moments like this make me 
even prouder to be Israeli. We 
are strong; we don’t give in to 
fear. We protect ourselves, and 

we always stay united. 
When I finish my year of 
service here in Michigan, I 
will return to Israel in August 
and enroll in the Israeli army. 
Many of these terrorist attacks 
target soldiers in uniform, and 
in September, that will be me. 
While my American friends 
and peers will be in their soph-
omore year of college, starting 
“real life,
” I will serve my coun-
try. I am excited and proud to 
join the army, but these attacks 
are very concerning. How will I 
wear my uniform proudly and 
yet fear for my life at times? 
How will I ever feel safe while 
protecting my family? 
There is no correct answer; 
these are all dilemmas an aver-
age 18-year-old faces daily in 
Israel.
These attacks are devastating 
but will not stop us from mov-
ing forward. We will continue 
loving and supporting Israel 
and working throughout this 
incredible community daily to 
share that passion. 
I have received so much love, 
warmth and support through-
out my time here, and I am so 
lucky, grateful and honored 
to be here in Metro Detroit, 
bringing my Israel to you every 
day. 

Michal Neuman is from Jerusalem and 

is studying psychology and law. She is 

one of four ShinShiniot working in Metro 

Detroit this year.

Israeli soldiers on 
guard in the Old 
City of Jerusalem.

Michal 
Neuman

guest column

What it Means 
to Be Israeli

