As American teens, we are obsessed with Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, what we’re gonna wear, who we’re going to talk to, and so on, and so on, and so on. We often complain about anything and everything – even the things we love. When asked what they are most obsessed with, some different responses were: What workout am I going to do ,different movies, songs, and cancel culture among different social media stars. It’s not that we don’t think about important things as well, but we definitely have the luxury of focusing on what one could call the less-important things of life.Sometimes we don’t stop to think about how good life truly is for us. It is important that we learn to stop and consider things going on in the world that should make us more appreciative of our American lifestyle.
This has never been more true than it is today. Currently, Israel is under attack by a terrorist group named “Hamas”. On October 7th, 2023, Hamas did a surprise attack on Israel. They broke into homes and took hostages; now they are threatening to execute these hostages. So far, we know of 150 kidnappings done by Hamas. Victims include babies, children, women, and the disabled. Israel is in a state of panic and distress. Over 900 Israelis have lost their lives because of this war.
We are all wondering; why did the Hamas attack and why now? In an article written for CBS news, Tucker Reals and Charlie D’agata say “Hamas has said it was motivated to launch the attack essentially as the culmination of long-building anger over Israeli policy, including recent outbreaks of violence at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, but more generally over the treatment of Palestinians and the expansion of Israeli settlements.” In an article, written by Nick Logan, it says “The cruel reality is Hamas took hostages as an insurance policy against Israeli retaliatory action, particularly a massive ground attack and to trade for Palestinian prisoners,”
It just so happens that I have a childhood friend who lives in Caesarea, Israel who is actually living the daily experience of having a war fought all around her. I asked Shir Dobrin, a 16 year-old-girl from Israel how she was dealing with all of this, she said, “I am still trying to process everything and praying for my family and friends to come home safely. The support at this time has been overwhelming.” We need to realize how lucky we are to be living in a country that is safe and not under attack. People in Israel don’t get the comfort of going to bed every night, knowing they will wake up to the same routine everyday. We don’t have to worry about our loved ones being held hostage. While we are worried about concert tickets or, “Oh man the starbucks line is too long today.” Wake up and realize the things going on in the World around you. You never know when your entire world is going to come crashing down just like it did for Jewish teens. Be grateful and never take what you have for granted.
