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Our hearts are in pain, appalled by the bloodshed and hatred Hamas rains down on our brothers and sisters in Israel. Hundreds of rockets have been fired on innocent civilians, and six of our kin have been murdered. A bomb exploded on a bus in Tel Aviv injuring 23 people, and in the hours after an official ceasefire agreement was set to go into effect, Hamas continued to bombard Israel.

Israel has targeted terrorist “hot spots” in the Gaza strip, while giving civilians significant advance notice to help minimize the casualties. Unfortunately, Hamas has not allowed them to evacuate, and even admitted to using the civilians as human shields.

A friend of mine posted on facebook the other day, “Libi, my four-year-old, just asked me, ‘Ima, what is war? Why are they sending missiles on us?’ How do you explain hatred and destruction to a four-year-old? How??”

I have relatives in Israel, and when I speak to them it helps me understand just how much their lives have changed. My brother and sister are terrified each time the siren goes off and they have just 15 seconds to run to the shelters. Their children are traumatized despite their parents doing their best to protect them. My cousin lives in Kiryat Malachi. A missile hit the fourth floor of his apartment building, destroying his home and killing three of his neighbors.

When parents wake up in the morning, they have to check – is there school today or no school today? It all depends on the rocket attacks. And as much as parents try to protect their children, children are smart and intuitive and they pick up on the panic and fear that has gripped the country.

My daughter had her own “trauma” this week, which made me think about the children in Israel with sincere compassion. My six-year-old daughter comes home on a school bus, and my wife or I pick her up from the bus. One day this week, my wife called me and explained that she was running a few minutes late, and asked me to go meet the bus instead of her. I was in the middle of something and could not get away, but then my wife ended up stuck in traffic and making a wrong turn, so I had to jump in a taxi and race down to the bus stop.

By the time I got there, my daughter had been waiting close to half an hour with just the driver. She was crying hysterically, thinking we were not coming. She thought her parents had abandoned her. The bus driver also told me that my daughter had told him, “My mommy and tatty are not coming. They abandoned me.” She truly thought we were not coming!

I got down on eye level with her and promised her, “Mommy and tatty will never, ever leave you. We will always be there for you.”

But as I reassured her, I realized this is what everyone in Israel is wondering. Where is our Father in Heaven? How is He allowing this to happen? Has He abandoned His people?

In this week’s Parsha, we have our answer. Yaakov leaves Israel and travels to Charan, a land renowned for deception and swindling. But G-d promises him, “I am with you.”

G-d reassured Yaakov, and that reassurance still stands – He will not leave us, He will not abandon us. Sometimes it’s hard to see His input, but He is there.

We must remember that our Father in Heaven will never abandon us. Let’s help our brave Israeli brethren by saying psalms, being kind to one another, putting on tefillin, lighting Shabbat candles and hanging kosher mezuzahs on our doors. This is our contribution, our investment in G-d’s protection.

Brothers and sisters in Israel – our hearts and prayers are with you and your families. Stay strong!

This week the world found out about David Petraeus’s moral indiscretions. Petraeus, who served in the military for 37 years before being appointed head of the CIA, showed one face to the world, but looked very different on the inside. Who is he really? A creep or a hero? A top general or a military criminal? Who is the real David Petraeus?

I have a friend who similarly confounds me. Meet Brandon*. Brandon comes to shul occasionally, feels warmly towards Judaism, but I certainly wouldn’t call him religious. 

Recently, Brandon’s mother came to visit him in New York where he’s been living for 16 years. During those 16 years he’s been home to see his family, but this was his mother’s first trip to see him. In preparation for their first New York weekend, Brandon went on a little shopping spree. What did he buy? A timer and a hot water urn! He wanted to be able to make coffee, and have the lights shut off, without desecrating Shabbat.  

Why? 

It turns out Brandon grew up in an ultra-orthodox community. Although he abandoned that way of life when he moved to New York, he never had the heart to tell his parents. So every time he goes home, he makes sure to present himself as orthodox. His parents have no idea that he lives completely differently the rest of the time! 

So there he was, suddenly attending synagogue for every service: Friday night, Shabbat day, Shabbat afternoon, Sunday morning… And not only did he attend, he was the first one there each time! 

When I invited Brandon and his family to eat Shabbat dinner with us, I discovered that with his parents, he even goes by a different name. Determined to keep up the façade, he asked us not to let on. He so desperately didn’t want to disappoint his parents. 

I started wondering – who is the real Brandon? This guy practically lives a double life. In New York he lives a very secular life, but at home he is ultra-orthodox! He wears a kippa, goes by his Jewish name, keeps fully kosher and observes all of Shabbat’s intricate laws – all so as not to disappoint his mother. 

So, who IS the real Brandon? And what about us? Don’t we all do the same thing on some level? We act kind and caring and interested on the outside, when really we’re selfish, bored, disinterested and uncaring. We show different faces to different people at different times. So who are we? 

We are Jews, and every single Jew, at his or her core, is good. We all want to do the right thing. Sometimes we can’t, for whatever reason, but deep down we want to. 

In this week’s Parshah we read about Jacob and Esau. Imagine how Jacob must have felt, dressed in Esau’s clothing and tricking his father into giving him the blessings intended for his older brother. Was this the real Jacob? The same Jacob who spent the majority of his life sitting peacefully and studying Torah? 

We are all complex individuals, but at our essence, we are all pure and good. Sometimes we have to “dress up” and show a different face, but that is not the real one. 

So who is Brandon? He is not a non-practicing Jew fooling his parents into thinking he is still religious. He is a Torah-observant Jew fooling the world into thinking that he is non-observant.

And what about us? Who are we? We are good, through and through, always trying to do better with G-d and with our brethren. 

Right now, let’s stop for a minute to let that essence shine through as we pray for our brothers and sisters, our uncles and aunts, nieces and nephews, friends and cousins, parents, children and grandchildren – everyone who is under attack in our homeland, Israel: May G-d watch over you and protect you from all harm.

*Names and details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals

When Golda Meir was the Prime Minister of Israel, she wrote to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, encouraging him to make Israel his priority.

He wrote back, “First I am an American citizen, second Secretary of State, and third a Jew.”

To which Golda Meir responded, "In Israel when we read, we start from the other direction!"

America has just finished a long, divided election campaign; the costliest campaign in U.S. history. Both parties and their supporters worked tirelessly, but ultimately Obama was re-elected.

I received dozens of phone calls and emails from those who were distressed that Romney lost, as well as those who were pleased Obama won. Facebook and twitter provided a platform for everyone’s jubilation and outrage. 

When she woke up on Wednesday morning, my six-year-old daughter asked me, “Who won the election?" I looked at her in surprise, wondering how she knew anything about the election. I asked her, "Which election are you talking about?" and she said, "Obama or Romney, who won?" When I told her Obama won, she answered, "Oh man! I wanted Romney to win." 

One of the emails I received read, “I’m very depressed. Obama is going to take all our money and destroy Israel. Why bother with anything?” And it was not the only one. Many people are anxious about Israel. How will Israel fare under another term with the current administration?

One thing was clear with this election: People on both sides feel very passionately. Very few people are shrugging their shoulders saying, “It’s not what I wanted, not what I would have chosen, but it will be ok.” Most people are either thrilled and excited or angry and upset.

In this week’s Torah portion, Chayei Sara, we meet Avraham’s servant, Eliezer, who was sent to find Yitzchak a bride. He travelled to Charan, watched Rivkah at the well, and became convinced that she was the one for Yitzchak. When he meets her family, the very first thing he tells them is, “I am a servant of Avraham.”

Why?

Eliezer was a person who dedicated his entire being, heart and soul, to his master. His very essence screamed: I am nothing but a servant to my master Avraham.

We can learn from Eliezer, in terms of our relationship with G-d. The very first thing we need to be conscious of at all times is our servitude to our Creator. More important than anything else in the world, is our acknowledging, “I am a servant to G-d.”

It’s easy to get so caught up in the election and its outcome that we forget Who is really in charge. We must remember: Neither candidate is G-d! So there is no reason to be depressed that Romney lost, or super excited that Obama won. The world is not ending, nor has the Messiah arrived.

G-d is the One Who runs the world and determines our health and livelihood. It doesn’t come from the President, it all comes from G-d. What’s important is not who sits in the white house, but Who sits on the heavenly throne. He is the One we need to be most concerned about.

First and foremost, we are Jews. 

May G-d guide President Obama in the right direction. May He grant him the wisdom and understanding to make the right decisions for this magnificent country. I wish the President much success with this huge responsibility.