Israeli Woman Reflects on Fear, Community, and Leaving Amid Political Turmoil
Professor Ruhama Weiss shares her personal experience of fear and solitude as she prepares to leave Israel for a year to the Greek island of Ikaria. Despite the proximity of Greece and the peacefulness she expects there, Weiss admits to feeling anxious about the transition. She connects this fear to the ancient Jewish "Traveler's Prayer," which asks for safety and blessings on a journey and is traditionally said in the plural form to emphasize communal support and responsibility, as taught by the Babylonian sage Abaye.
Weiss reflects on Abaye's interpretation that even when one feels alone, they remain part of a community and bear responsibility for others, which offers spiritual comfort amid fear. She recounts Abaye's own difficult life as an orphan and scholar in Babylon, symbolizing the enduring experience of the Jewish wanderer who must remember their ties and duties to others.
The article situates Weiss's departure within the broader context of recent years in Israel, marked by political failures, violence, displacement, and societal breakdown. She describes how many Israelis have become involuntary nomads due to security threats and political decisions, with families suffering trauma and communities fracturing. Weiss criticizes Israeli leadership for causing fear and division and expresses sorrow over the country's current state.
Addressing politicians who discourage diaspora Israelis from voting, Weiss paraphrases a Talmudic phrase to suggest their silence is preferable to harmful speech. She calls for public apologies and gratitude toward those who continue to engage in repairing the nation despite the hardships. Weiss's farewell is both personal and political, blending her own journey with a call for communal healing and responsibility.
The piece combines personal narrative, religious reflection, and social critique, highlighting the emotional and spiritual dimensions of leaving Israel under distressing circumstances and the hope for renewal through collective action.
