You Are Not Israel's Spokesperson: Reclaiming Your Center in a Polarized World

Have you been handed an unwanted job title since October 7th? Amateur Diplomat. Geopolitical Expert. Spokesperson for the Jewish People.

Suddenly, it feels like every conversation—at the grocery store, with colleagues, even on social media—is a potential minefield. We are being asked, and in many cases are asking ourselves, to justify, defend, and explain a complex, painful reality as if we are on the diplomatic staff of Israel.

This isn't just external pressure; it's a profound internal burden. It creates what I call a "self-splitting feeling"—a painful tearing inside of ourselves. We are open-hearted, compassionate people who want to cry out for the violence to stop. We feel a deep empathy for Palestinian death and loss, while also feeling an immense, gut-wrenching sorrow for Israeli death and loss.

The world, however, is demanding we take a side. It’s pushing us into a black-and-white framework that denies the complexity of our own hearts and minds. The emotional exhaustion is immense.

The core challenge is this: when our nervous systems are flooded with stress, anxiety, and a sense of danger, we literally cannot hold complexity. Our brains shift into survival mode, looking for simple answers and clear enemies. But our reality, and our Jewishness, is not simple.

So, how do we find our center when we’re being pulled apart? We can start by releasing the job we never applied for.

Your First Responsibility is to Your Own Nervous System

Before you can engage with the world, you have to come back to yourself. This isn't a selfish act; it's the foundational step for building resilience. Jewish wisdom is full of practices for grounding ourselves, but the most accessible one is available to you right now. It is a powerful, trauma-informed tool.

When you feel that surge of anger, anxiety, or the pressure to perform, I want you to pause and try this. This is part of the "work."

1. Find Your Feet: Wherever you are, literally feel your feet on the ground. Notice the sensation of the floor beneath you. This simple act sends a signal to your brain that you are physically anchored in the present moment.

2. Come Back to Your Breath: Take one slow, conscious breath. You don’t need to change it, just notice the feeling of the air entering and leaving your body.

3. Notice Your Surroundings: Look around and name three things you can see. A lamp. A crack in the sidewalk. The color of a book. This pulls your attention out of the chaotic swirl of thoughts and back into the safety of the present.

What you are doing is re-establishing a sense of safety. With practice, this small exercise helps calm and balance your nervous system. Only from that calmer place can we begin to hold the complexities of the moment without splitting apart.

From Grounding to Values

Once you feel more centered, you can do the next piece of work. When you get riled up by something you see in the news or a comment someone makes, ask yourself a question: What is the inner value here that's getting activated?

Maybe it's a profound commitment to justice. To fairness. To peace, dignity, or freedom.

That fire you feel isn't just anger or anxiety; it's the energy of your deepest values asking to be seen. Instead of letting that energy pull you into an argument, you can learn to come back to that value in an embodied way. You can say to yourself, "This is hard because I care so deeply about peace." That simple acknowledgment is an act of self-compassion and helps integrate that "split-off" part of you.

This is also a place for a huge act of humility: acknowledging that you don't have the answer. You can hold your values, your hopes, and your wishes, while also admitting, "I don't know the way out of this." Giving yourself that permission releases an enormous burden.

Your identity is not a political position. It is a timeless peoplehood, a covenant of shared stories and resilience. Your primary work right now is to tend to your own Jewish soul and to find a path back to your center, again and again.

The Resilient Jewish Path is a space built to support you in this work. It’s a judgment-free zone for all Jews, regardless of background or belief, to explore these complex questions together.

If you'd like to receive more tools for managing anxiety and building resilience, I hope you’ll join us.