To be a Jew right now, and the child of a Holocaust survivor, compels me to speak. Israeli children do not out-value Palestinian children across a boundary that hems them in.

Why is the collateral damage of war accepted but the collateral damage of peace not given voice? To be a Jew is to understand the promise granted by this land of Israel; never again. Jews have a homeland where we will be safe. A promise that was broken on Oct 7. I understand the need to protect this land and that promise. But to be a Jew right now compels me to accept the collateral damage of peace.

The damage that not every Hamas invader will be captured or killed. That the Palestinian lands that stand next door to Israel must be returned to the people who have the right to create their own destiny, their own homeland, their own promise.

I like to imagine that to be a Jew right now is to see the common chord that holds us, Semites, people of the land of Palestine together. We share an origin story from the time of Abraham. Even then, we could not find peace in one home. For centuries, our web is one of pain, loss and violence.

To be a Jew right now is to stand up and shout, “enough.” It is time to find peace together on this land.

Hollie Kalkstein

Leverett