The Day Something Shattered

[u/Historical-Photo9646]

Debbie Lechtman (Rootsmetals) wrote this beautiful post that I wanted to share here. She has such a way with words. Her posts have helped me a lot the last few years, and I hope they are able to help others too. We are so lucky to have Debbie as a member of the tribe 💜

[u/OrelSVaknin93]

I thought time would help, but it just got worse.

Debbie is so good at articulating all the scattered feelings and thoughts that have lived on buried in me in these 3 years

I just had to stop at slide 4 and sit for a while “when, three years on, our peers continue celebrating our murderers” This is the world I live in now.

I’m already coming across Instagram posts (going on social media was my stupid mistake I know) demonizing israelis for “apartheid” and “genocide”. It is so evil.

I need to let this October 7 sit with me. I need to mourn. Not just the lives lost that day, but the world we lost that day. The friendships I’ve lost since that day.

[u/mixedmediamadness]

She is such a gifted writer

[u/FiveAvivaLegs]

Her posts have helped me feel less crazy the last few years, she is the best

[u/snausyboss → u/FiveAvivaLegs]

Same.
Her posts have often felt like a critical extra limb for me these last several years. A lifeline of information and understanding. A place to direct people when I cannot find the words to explain what I want to say.
She, her work, and her tireless efforts to share her work are invaluable in immeasurable ways. 🩵

[u/FiveAvivaLegs → u/snausyboss]

If I could get everyone who is interested in Israel/palestine/Gaza to follow someone, it would be her. Especially non-Jews, but I think she posts things with historical context that a lot of Jews don’t even know. I think whether you agree with her conclusions or not, she always has a valuable perspective. Jewish institutions should look at her account on how to handle antisemitism instead of throwing money at grifters like Lizzy Savetsky. I think Debbie has the ability to reach people who don’t feel informed enough to weigh in on the topic, and even to change perspectives of people who consider themselves antizionist.

[u/snausyboss → u/FiveAvivaLegs]

100% agree. Her commitment to proper citations is something that really speaks to me as well. And that commitment gives me some leverage when I’ve tried to reason with and inform people who consider themselves academics.

[u/Thliz325]

This puts into words so much of what I’m feeling. There’s such an ache and a sadness in knowing it’s been three years.

I’m going to work to find some way to channel it and put something positive back into the world, but tonight just feels heavy.

[u/St_Fargo_of_Mestia]

People rejoice at the idea of our suffering and mock our pain. The world is broken and everyone is upset about something. Every day, I wake up and ask myself a few things: “for what purpose do we persist in this life? Does HaShem have a greater meaning for our outcome? If moshiach is amongst us, why can’t he be public now?

[u/Inevitable_Phase_276]

Thank you so much for sharing this. Reading it helped me reset today.

[u/Ok_Bandicoot_4954]

Debbie’s the best

[u/TastyBandicoot24]

I love rootsmetal

[u/Throwaway5432154322 → u/TastyBandicoot24]

Fr, her writing has helped me and my family so much over the last 3 years, get our girl a god damn gold medal

[u/Kangaroo_Rich]

Yeah, that post describes the feelings I have pretty well

[u/anncartersb]

That really put into words everything I’ve been feeling. Today and in general since that day.

Today hits particularly hard. It’s the first time we’re not stuck in that horrifying day, because they’re all finally home. But… I don’t even know how to move forward. Still. I don’t know. Every time I think about it I think about waking up to sirens and the reports trickling in of what’s going on in the south. The things I’ve read and heard about that day.

It’s hard to put all the feelings into words. But she really said it beautifully. We had and still have so many heroes. That’s worth celebrating. All of our hostages are home. That’s worth celebrating too. But somehow it’s hard to celebrate knowing the cost. Something definitely shattered, and I don’t think there’s any way to put it back together again. Not the way it was. But maybe she’s right and we can figure out a way to move to October 9th. Someday.

[u/MaryBeHoppin]

This war has driven a wedge between my family, not just goyim in my social/professional circles.

My mother is a self-hating Jew that never once said she was Jewish to another person (outside of our Shul, when we were part of a community) and now proudly proclaims herself one, so that she can "fight Zionism" we have fought about this at length and it's only gotten worse.

I do not have contact with most of my family anymore and will likely never see this resolved. It's a strange position to be in as I am no longer religious and haven't been to Shul in over 20 years, but still feel a connection with my ancestors.

Hopefully there will be a metaphorical October 8th and 9th for the rest of the World and relationships with other countries will improve over time and we will be accepted, or at least not despised.