Fight the problem, not people

The problem is a culture of indifference, Where empathy's fade builds walls of resistance. Not just in lands of sand and stone, But in hearts worldwide, the seed is sown.

When narratives clash, beliefs collide, It's easy to cast humanity aside. To see only labels, the "us" and "them", And forget the shared roots, the common stem.

The real enemy isn't the neighbor, the kin, But the apathy growing, festering within. For it blinds us to tears, to the universal plea, That regardless of birthplace, we all wish to be free.

Let's challenge the indifference, tear it apart, Rekindle compassion, make a fresh start. For the real fight isn't on the battlefield's plane, But in conquering biases, breaking each chain.

Fight the problem, not people. For in understanding, we plant peace's seed.

Weeks like these are the hardest for my heart.

Days and weeks when I feel my brown skin. When I can hear my accent slipping and my English brain refusing to turn on.

So, I've been reaching out and connecting with the ones whose hearts are imploding with grief. The ones channeling anger into activism. The ones putting aside product launches and social media campaigns to be where they are needed.

• I feel buoyed by the sit-in yesterday in Washinton DC, led by Jewish Voices for Peace, and organizing around the world asking demanding a ceasefire.
• Hope for what's possible, by the liberal coalition winning in Poland's election.
• And nearly 70,000 healthcare union workers in CA raising the minimum wage to $25/hr (by going on strike, of course).

It is weeks like these I find it the hardest to connect with people who are indifferent, apolitical, and unaware. The ones that aren't interested in or aware of our histories. Or their own history.

The ones who've been silent, watching from the sidelines.

Too afraid to engage their families and friends.

We get to create histories we can be proud of and that doesn't happen by soaking in apathy.

So let me present you with a few things you can do:

1. Check in on your friends impacted by this war - Jewish, Muslim, Arab - call, text, email. Bring them some meals even if they are perfectly capable of feeding themselves. See if you can do something to bring ease into their lives. Don't avoid them or assume you know how they're doing.
2. If you don't have any friends that fit #1 ( ?? sigh) - educate yourself on what's happening, to whom, and why. Read credible, verified sources. Start here on histories, POVs - Born in Gaza (Netflix), Exterminate All The Brutes (HBO), Farha (Netflix), Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harai (Book), The Reluctant Fundamentalist (Movie & Book)
3. Make a plan to call legislators and demand a ceasefire - JVP has resources and scripts.
4. If you're willing to stretch your legs (no pun intended) - join a direct action, rally, or march. You can also see if someone in #1 needs support in their place of worship, school, or community spaces.
5. Talk to your kids - the people in our life, even the little ones, know what our position is by our lack of action. They are watching us. Raising empathetic people requires sharing the chaos of this world - in the safety of your own home.

Do you want to look back 5 years or a decade from now and wish you'd done something? Or do you want to behave like Starbucks, suing the union for a pro-Palestine message?