While we pray for those who are suffering both on and off the battlefield, it is vital that we do our part to help. 

Hearing about a conflict so far away and so out of your control is not easy for anyone. I’m sure I am one of many who feel so guilty. How could I be picking out my Halloween costume right now as kids my age and younger are going through the unimaginable? Are we just supposed to go on with normal life? It seems like that is impossible.

I have always pondered the role social media has played in times like these. Before there was social media, people heard only stories of war tragedies. Yes, eventually pictures would resurface of soldiers and victims of tragedies, but not like they do today. Now, I sit in a classroom, watching a new video, seeing a picture of a child’s bedroom covered in blood, and reading an article with a picture of a family—that looks just like my own—under the headline “… Was Murdered.” Each time, a part of my soul rips away. I feel like it is the least I can do, I can sacrifice my innocence to feel this pain, so I don’t have to continue my day feeling so guilty.  The more I think about it, the worse I feel. All I really have been is just a bystander.

We are living in unprecedented times. Our parents, who were not able to witness these horrors in their youth at the touch of a button on a smartphone, are going through this with us: the brutal and true exposure. With that being said, no one has the answers. No one knows the effect the war will have 10 years from now, but what we do know is that we only have each other to look to for comfort and community. What is most unfortunate is that the most popular way we look toward each other is through fear–the kind of fear that grips you when you watch videos and brutal acts of terror. The fear that I see in the faces of hostages is a fear I cannot unsee. The fear that I see in my little sister or in my friends when someone texts what they are doing to Jews in New York City. The most scary part of it all is that people will say the Holocaust never happened, but now that we have evidence, we have the tools to say “this is real, and we need help.” Yet, people still need to take the time to “process” what they are actually seeing.

So why would posting even matter if people still aren’t going to believe you? Why would you put yourself out there, state your values, or post pictures of you and your family in the country you support if they are still going to hate you? It’s a scary feeling knowing that it may be futile or that you may make yourself a target in the process. The truth is, though, that it only takes one voice to make an impact. It’s crazy that we learn these phrases in kindergarten about what integrity means, but somehow it all slips from memory when you are the one put on the spot. But now, more than ever, you need to have the strength to remember these values. You really do have the power to change lives with your voice, to educate the unaware, and to let those who are standing alone know that they are not. 

How do I know this? I myself find strength behind the messages I see online from friends, family, and strangers. I find myself encouraged by the bravery of those who speak out bravely and unapologetically. But at the same time, I find myself heart broken by those who are too afraid to speak out themselves. When someone posts words of encouragement–hope or information–it makes others want to follow and spread the message onward. But when someone is silent, it silences others under fear. More than that, it speaks greater volumes than those who are speaking.

Taylor Swift and Beyonce, you have 100 times more followers than the number of people living in Israel and Gaza combined, yet you will not say anything. What is so scary about being a human with a heart? Where are you when we need you most? Your silence is heartbreaking, and it will not be forgotten.

But for those of you who aren’t celebrities, now is even a more urgent time to help. You don’t have to be Jewish, and you don’t have to be from Israel; you just have to be a person with a soul to care for those who are suffering. Your support creates community, and you contain the strength to unsilence those who are too scared. You have the power to educate people about what is happening, spread awareness, and emphasize the urgency of the issue.

If you can take time out of your day to post about the next party you are at, you most definitely have enough time to show awareness for this. Please, do not stay silent.