A new year that begins where the world broke

Israel has been dealing with terrorism for decades. I have vivid memories of waking up to hear of a suicide bombing on a bus or a restuarant or a nightclub. Walking into a sombre school. Sitting in an assembly called specifically to talk about what had happened, sending prayers for those who were injured and for the families of those who were murdered, teachers making sure we were emotionally and mentally dealing with what was occurring. 

I was in Israel during the second intifada. Phones were instructed to be on at all times. Alerts would randomly beep and we’d have to check in with our madrichim within 10 minutes or a search party would begin. We would be told to shelter in place, immediately return to family or start heading back to our group base. Instructions would depend on the severity of the threat. 

Terror was, heartbreakingly, something familiar to the Jewish people. It was something we accepted upon travel to Israel. 

And then on September 11, 2001, the intifada was globalised. And everything changed. Security changed. Airports changed. Travel changed. Hearts changed. 

Now though, a whole generation of people have no living recollection of September 11. They don’t recall watching planes fly into the Twin Towers or hearing of the one crashing into the Pentagon, or of the passengers who revolted against the hijackers, sacrificing their own lives to save those on the ground.