18 | MAY 2 • 2024 
J
N

A

pril 13 was one of 
the most stressful 
and eccentric days 
I have experienced since the 
beginning of the war.
The reports flowing from 
Israel put me and many others 
in the Jewish 
community 
under immense 
pressure as we 
heard of the 
massive missile 
attack Iran 
launched at 
Israel.
From the news 
I was listening to, it seemed 
like it was the beginning of a 
third World War. And being 
so far from home made it 
seem as if things in Israel 
were much worse than they 
actually were.
All that day, I was busy 
keeping up with the news, 

following closely and counting 
the seconds until the missiles 
that were launched reached 
Israel’s airspace. It almost 
resembled those terrible, 
frightening moments on Oct. 
7, when we watched from afar 
how horrors were happening 
in our home, to our people, 
and we could not do anything 
to help.
But as the reports kept 
coming in, I was filled with a 
sense of relief as we watched 
the news and saw how, one 
by one, nearly all missiles and 
drones were intercepted. Each 
threat was removed by the 
advanced air defense systems 
that include groundbreaking 
technology and strong 
diplomatic ties with allies 
in the region and the world. 
These two elements took years 
to establish and strengthen, 
precisely for a critical moment 

in our nation’s history, as the 
one we witnessed on April 13.
This policy has proven to be 
Israel’s best and most effective 
security strategy. True, there 
were hits in two locations in 
Israel, and a young girl was 
seriously injured by shrapnel 
from a missile. But the huge 
gap between the disaster 
that could have been and the 
actual results of the attack 
made me at least feel uplifted 
and brought a renewed sense 
of security and confidence, 
which had weakened since 
Oct. 7.
As I was listening anxiously 
to the news, my family 
members in Israel were 
sleeping comfortably in their 
beds. Even my friends who 
ran to the safe rooms with 
their children in middle of the 
night realized that the booms 
they were hearing came from 

the launch of the interceptor 
rockets, and the greatest fear 
was from falling shrapnel and 
not from a direct hit of the 
Iranian missiles, few of which 
actually managed to penetrate 
Israeli airspace.
The next morning, the 
main concern of Israelis 
was that the schools were 
canceled during one of the 
most stressful times for the 
country’s residents — a week 
before Pesach, right in the 
middle of the spring cleanups. 
And once again, Israelis’ 
biggest enemy was chametz 
crumbs in the kitchen drawers 
and not the Iranian Ayatollah 
regime.
What an unimaginable 
reality.
Many people in our Jewish 
community ask me — What 
can we do? How can we help? 
How can we support Israel 
during such times?
For the past six months, my 
answer was relatively simple. 
Beyond financial support to 
the Emergency Campaign for 
Israel, the most effective thing 
you can do is to pick up the 
phone and call or text your 
family or friends in Israel. 
Show them you are here for 
them; tell them they are in 
your thoughts and prayers.
But today I have another 
answer to that question. 
We have a phenomenal way 
to show our support and 
solidarity for Israel!

WALK THE ZOO 
IN WHITE AND BLUE
On Tuesday, May 28, 
at 6 p.m. we will hold a 
communitywide event in 
support of Israel at the Detroit 
Zoo. Walk the Zoo in White 
and Blue in honor of Yom 
HaAtzmaut, Israel’s 76th 
Independence Day.
We, the Jewish community 
of Detroit, also deserve to 

Show Support for Israel 
– in White and Blue

Come together at Detroit Zoo event on May 28.

Lior 
Zisser-Yogev
Special to the 
 
Jewish News 

OUR COMMUNITY