Gratitude.
Who/what am I thankful for?
The list is endless and a little daunting.
On the base level, my family, my friends, being fortunate enough to get a college education. But there is so much more than that. I am thankful for the strong Jewish community here at muhlenberg and the fact that, even though there are terrible things happening in the world, I don’t need to be afraid walking across campus with my Star of David necklace on. That alone is huge. I have friends who are attending various schools throughout the country, big and small, who have bore witness to various acts of anti-semitisim. They walk through campus scared of being attacked. I have friends who are in Israel terrified of being bombed and trapped, thousands of miles away from their families. I have friends who are my age in the Israeli army, risking their lives to protect the country they love. My best friend’s brother is in Gaza as we speak. His sister calls him every day and ends their calls with, “If I don’t hear from you tomorrow, at least I got to tell you that I love you.” The fact that I don’t have to go through every day of my life terrified that my brother or any of my family members could be dead makes me feel almost guilty.
I know this is heavy subject matter. I know it is tinged with my personal bias. But this year this is what I am thankful for. That I am safe, and that my family is safe. I think of my friends in Israel every day and I pray for their safety. I am grateful that I am here and not there. I am grateful for the support of my community and grateful for those risking their lives for the place that my ancestors called home.
