One Big Family

Life in Israel, as a result of being such a small country, is often referred to as being part of one big extended family. That is, that just about anything which happens is felt by just about everyone. Yesterday while introducing my friend from the States to the Kotel for the first time, we go the news that an attack had occurred.
Naturally, concerned, we began to call family to find out who knew what.
Well, in the beginning the facts were a little unclear, but, it was clear that several boys had been murdered and that many had been wounded. It was clear that it was in a neighborhood where we know and interact with many people.
I felt it was important for me to post something about this as this is the an example of the heart of Israeli society and the Jewish heart. Just as being part of a large family we share in joyous moments, so too, we share in tragedies. While it is fun to share and explore the cultural differences between American and Israeli culture, the bottom line is, that when a Jew is killed, we have all lost a piece of ourselves. We may be separated by oceans, borders, cultures and time zones, but, we have all stood together at Sinai, and Auschwitz. These "incidences", in Buenos Aires, L.A., NYC, Sderot, Askelon, Tzfat, Ma'alot, Haifa or Jerusalem, it is about all of us.
This is a point which becomes crystal clear living here. No matter which country or tribe or minhag-Ashkenaz or Sephardi, we are all one. Please let's make every effort to strive to reach out to our fellow/sister Jew, on whatever level, in love and peace and brother/sisterhood and support one another to work together as one community/kehilla. As individuals let's make a concerted effort to do one extra miztva, a good deed, every day.
This is what we try to teach children when they are not getting along.
This is what G-d wants from us-unity, brotherhood and effort towards improving ourselves individually.
with best wishes and a heavy heart
Yehudit
Please write and share your experiences with these "incidences" so that we may all be joined together and grow from one another's strengths.