“My heart is in the East and I am at the Edge of the West.” -Rabbi Judah Halevi

It’s not easy being away from home. Anyone who has been away from their home can relate to this feeling.

As I am writing this article, Israel is facing rough and painful days. For the last couple of weeks there has been an escalation of civilian terror in Israel, and what is most shocking is that the people who are committing the terror acts are not members of terror organizations, but ordinary people who decided to try and kill Israeli police officers, soldiers or civilians.

Our family and friends are always in our thoughts, and on days like these they are in our thoughts even more. I know that if I was in Israel right now, I would probably be called to the military for reserve service. When we’re here at our “Shlichut,” our most important role is to share our feelings, thoughts and concerns with others. It’s also our job to encourage all of you to explore and find out about what is going on in Israel, both at good times but also in difficult times.

Mayana and I both hope that the trouble in recent days will pass, and that the people in Israel can maintain their daily routine with no threats of danger or pain.

Israel is such a beautiful country–full of amazing people, exciting places to visit, and a rich history and culture. We know that everyone of you who has visited Israel feels the same.

Bringing Israel to Akron We’ve been here in Akron for two months already and we can’t believe how fast time flies! We’re getting to know everyone and already started working with several groups of different ages and bringing Israel into the Akron community.

The high holidays were absolutely incredible. For me, as an Israeli who didn’t observe very much of the Jewish traditions back in Israel, being a part of the beautiful community here was such a thrill. I enjoyed the services, the conversations with everyone, and the Jewish meals with the amazing Jewish families that we visited. Now, I definitely need to lose some extra “Jewish” pounds!

Mayana and I are excited to invite you to our Shlichim programs this year. We’ll be learning together about the challenges that Israel is going through. At our first program in November, we will be talking about Building Bridges. Especially at times like this, Mayana and I feel that it is so important that you hear about the efforts of building bridges.

Both on a domestic and global level. We will learn about building bridges between Israelis and Arab-Israelis, and learn about the Isra-Aid organization that personifies the willingness of Israel to contribute to any crisis in order to save human lives. That’s what it means to be Jewish, and that’s what Israel is and should be – in our eyes.

See you at our programs!