As of today, May 21, 2024, hostages kidnapped by Hamas will have been in captivity for 227 days. I mourn the loss of life and suffering from the war, as well as for the notion that peace and a two-state solution now seem so far away. There appears no visible path to peace.

Events in the Middle East have a complex and intertwined history, dating back long before the founding of the State of Israel 76 years ago. War is horrific for everyone involved. My words are not meant to serve as an explanation of the conflict between Israel, Hamas, and the Palestinians, as university courses cannot cover it all sufficiently, but rather I write this to ask you to take a moment to reflect how the conflict has impacted your friends and neighbors in our community.

I grew up in an active Jewish community in New Jersey, about as different as one can be from the Adirondacks. I attended Jewish Day School until fifth grade, then moved to public school where Jewish holidays were built into the calendar. At Jewish Day School, half the day is secular studies, and half the day is Jewish studies including modern Hebrew, Israeli history, geography and culture, Jewish holidays, and the Old Testament and commentaries. I attended Jewish summer camps and become a regional leader in the Zionist youth movement Habonim Dror. I traveled to Israel many times with my family as a child, on organized trips with Habonim Dror at a teenager, with Haddasah, a women’s Zionist organization, as an adult. After high school I lived in Israel working at a community center in an area largely populated by immigrants.

Since the attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7, people in our community and across the country have equated expression of Zionism as those of dictators, colonizers and occupiers, yet these broad labels completely misrepresent my experiences. I was educated that Zionism includes the goal of a two-state solution. I have vivid memories of marching in Israeli Independence Day parades as a teenager chanting “peace is greater than a piece of land” in response to the efforts of right-wing factions of the Israeli government.

The stated aims of Habonim Dror North America include “to upbuild the State of Israel as a progressive, egalitarian, cooperative society, at peace with its neighbors; actively involved in a Peace Process with the Palestinian people with the common goal of a just and lasting peace.” My education and my experiences supported that effort in every way. At Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, people from all over the Middle East receive care regardless of religion, affiliation, address, or ability to pay. I visited intentional schools and communities where families of all religions and backgrounds were committed to finding a better way ahead from the violence of the past. I watched youth sports teams with a mix of Jewish and Arab children focused on winning the game not hating and killing one another.

Given my experiences and my Zionist upbringing, you can imagine my confusion when someone tells me they are anti-Zionist. I think to myself, “You are against Israel being at peace with its neighbors? Why would anyone oppose that?” I have been accused of supporting apartheid, been told I am no better than the white supremacists marching in Charlottesville, that I have no place in America and that my actions as someone actively engaged in the Jewish community are responsible for the death and destruction of the Palestinian people. To make sweeping statements about Zionists or Jews or any ethnic, social or religious group, fails to recognize the diversity that exists within these groups.

The terrorist organization Hamas seems to have disappeared from the general conversation about Gaza and Israel. I struggle to understand this. Hamas committed horrible atrocities against women, murdered and kidnapped innocent people yet I do not hear an outcry against their actions. The year I spent as a soldier in Afghanistan acquainted me with terrorist organizations and I feel strongly that Hamas is something we should all be concerned about. Instead, Hamas’ flag has served as a focal point and rallying cry across our nation and to me that is scary.

The need for humanitarian aid in Gaza is immense and protests have rightfully given voice to that. One can bring attention to the suffering of a group of people without calling for the destruction of another. One can speak in opposition to the actions of a government entity without demonizing the people. One can share stories of suffering and raise money to support the Palestinian people in Gaza without fanning the flames of antisemitism. This is what keeps me tossing and turning at night and makes me feel sick to my stomach every time I catch a glimpse of the news.

If you want to learn more perspectives about the war in Israel and Gaza I encourage you to look at new sources outside of the U.S. Times of Israel, Haaretz, BBC and Al Jazeera have a wealth of information but remember no one article, news source, or conversation will explain it all. War is never black and white, but I know for certain, killing innocent people is wrong and is something we as humans should be concerned about.

Although it appears that we are so far from lasting peace in the Middle East I yearn for the idea that it still might be possible, without pointing fingers, applying vast stereotypes, or demeaning others. I try to approach conversations with compassion and an open mind. At the same time, I stand fast in my belief that the Zionism I was raised on is not something to be ashamed of or eliminated from America.

The situation is constantly evolving. I can only hope that in our community we can forge a way ahead in which we discuss and dialogue in a respectful and encompassing way which values all opinions and acknowledges that what unites us is far more than what divides us.

— — —

Jordanna Mallach has been a resident of the Adirondacks since 2006. She is the supervisor of the town of Harrietstown and a Major in the Army National Guard.