18 | OCTOBER 3 • 2024

OUR COMMUNITY

“There is no going back to my
previous life. Oct. 7 has cemented
in my mind that nothing is more
important to me than speaking
out loud to educate my American
friends. If there is any silver lining,
it is that American Jews are finally
aware of the dangers we face.
“Many here live in a bubble where
they have never heard the words
intifada or caliphate. While some
have woken up, others still choose to
hide their heads in the sand.
“I no longer leave my window
blinds open at home when I light
Shabbat candles. I am afraid that
there is a mezuzah on my door. My
Israeli children have lost dozens of
friends in the last year. But still, they
think it is more dangerous to be
Jewish in America than Israel.
“Overall, I have been depressed.
I have lost all will to pursue the
dreams I set for myself when I
moved back to Michigan from
Israel. I long for the days of not
living in fear. When I was growing
up, and even as recently as Oct.
1, 2023, there were times when
Jews could go to Dearborn, go into
an Arab restaurant and they w
ould put on Israeli music for us and
we could all eat, drink and enjoy life
together. I fear those days are gone.”
— Erit Gill, Farmington Hills

“My life has changed
both personally and
professionally since Oct.
7. My family in Israel is
hurting and I feel their
pain. When your family
is in mourning, or in a
dark place, their sadness
transfers to you. I’ve felt like I’ve
been carrying around their sorrow,
frustration and anger all year.
“I decided to go to Israel in
December to hug them and to
volunteer. Honestly, it did more for
me than it probably did for them.
I needed to see them and check on
them and, in some cases, to pay a

shivah visit.
“Professionally, my work at the
Shalom Hartman Institute has
been a place to channel my energy
to make me feel like I’m doing
something to help the community
locally and beyond. As Jewish
educators and professionals, many
things we thought we knew before
Oct. 7 became no longer true. Israel
was safe. Liberal institutions were
safe spaces for identity expression.
We perceived that Jews are
integrated into American society,
and our allies would always be there
for us. All of these assumptions were
incorrect.
“It is now incumbent on all Jewish
professionals and lay leaders to help
the community absorb and process
what we thought we knew and to
build a path forward. My time in
Israel this summer at the Hartman
Institute allowed for some of that
work to begin, but the task is a long-
term project. Mostly, I’m sad that my
children will now carry the tragedies
of Oct. 7 with them as they grow.
Their obligations as Jewish leaders
are heavy and their responsibilities
great. I hope we have prepared
them.” — Rebecca Starr, vice
president of Educational Operations
and Regional Strategy for the Shalom
Hartman Institute of North America

“We have been so
slammed busy and
thank G-d for that.
There have been so
many students who have
come to us at the center
or wanted to meet with
us out on campus ever
since Oct. 7. It keeps us busy 24/7.
We see the growth and the soul-
searching of even the most secular
Jewish students. They want to be
more involved with Jewish life, with
doing mitzvot, with being more
Shabbat observant. For years, we
had tefillin at the Jewish Resource
Center that were hardly used.

After Oct. 7, we had students come
begging for them, and we gave them
out and needed more. The students
are shaken up, but they want to
get more involved.” — Rabbi Fully
Eisenberger, the Jewish Resource
Center at the University of Michigan

“I feel even more
connected to the land
and people of Israel. I
now read Israeli news
every day. I check in
with my Israeli friends
more often. And I offer
sermons about Israel
much more than I used
to. I have been to Israel on one
solidarity mission with a group of
rabbis and hope to return again.” —
Rabbi Shalom Kantor, Congregation
B’nai Moshe

“Oct. 7 and the
ensuing conflict have
deeply affected me, both
as a Jewish communal
professional and as a
proud Jewish Detroiter.
It’s not the first time I’ve
witnessed the strength
and solidarity that emerge in times
of crisis, but I am profoundly
inspired by the incredible unity
and generosity our community has
shown over the past year.
“Having spent time in Israel over
the past year on two Solidarity
Missions, bearing witness to
the atrocities and meeting with
many of the victims’ families, this
experience has brought forth a
wave of emotions — grief for the
tragic losses, concern for the future,
but, above all, a tremendous desire
to do everything I can to support
the people of Israel. Despite the
challenges, I know that we are a
resilient people, and together we will
navigate these very difficult times
and emerge stronger.” — Steven
Ingber, CEO of Jewish Federation of
Detroit

Rabbi Fully
Eisenberger

Rabbi
Shalom
Kantor

Rebecca
Starr

continued from page 17

Steven
Ingber

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