Having an open mind, being curious, and being a critical thinker are all rare traits. You magically have all three. You are in an impossible place right now as a public persona, I so appreciate what you are sharing and understand why you need boundaries as well.
Thank you for being so vulnerable. It really is helpful to read your words and see the uncertainty that I’m feeling reflected back so articulately. I’m not Jewish, but I married into a Jewish family and I’m really trying to hold room for “more than one thing can be true at once” without hurting my loved ones. There’s a lot of pressure to make pronouncements or confirm allegiance…one thing we seem to all agree on is that this moment is heartbreaking and tragic from wherever you stand.
This was so well put. I also have self-doubt as a core part of my identity and while it can be helpful at times, it can also be overwhelming in times like these. ❤️
I think at times it is a huge asset (rebranded as open mindedness) and other times it can cause somewhat of an identity crisis. It's also why I was so good at logic in high school.
Thank you. Self-doubt is also a big part of my life and I like hearing it in a positive light. I am very open minded and able to see both sides of situations. I always saw it as a flaw that I couldn’t just declare a thing as being the right thing and take an instant stand as I see friends do (not involving this particular current event). I will now view it as a character strength and not a defect. ❤️
Thank you for sharing. I really respect your voice in this internet space and for what it’s worth, I find it refreshing that you operate with less of a sense of certainty than some do. When everyone seems to think that THEY know the truth, I find comfort with those who care deeply, but from a place of listening and acting in their own personal sphere rather than just spewing out more information and content.
Thank you for your words. I am feeling very conflicted and struggling to express my thoughts. It helps to know I’m not alone, it feels like everyone both online and in my circles knows exactly how they feel. Meanwhile, I just typed and deleted my thoughts on the matter several times over. I hope for a resolution that won’t cause too much more innocent blood to be spilled but I don’t know if one exists.
Ilana this really resonates with me, also a Jewish woman in NY. Your paragraph about what it's like "arguing in real life" is exactly what I experience all the time, despite how much time I spend learning about a variety a different things. And this is definitely no different for me and I'm struggling. Thank you for this post.
Thank you for a beautifully written post on this really challenging time. I can only imagine the pressure you're under from all this DMs and such. I love you and your family and look forward to your posts again soon. Stay safe and remember there are tons of us who support you. 💕
I can only imagine how hard it is as a Jewish family in a public sphere right now. It’s hard and heavy without adding a degree of fear, too. I appreciate why you’ve stepped back, for now. Thanks for sharing with us.
Thank you for this; this is a truly awful situation for people on every side. There are no winners, and it’s all just painful. I always appreciate your perspective, so thank you for sharing it!
You owe your readers nothing. You share your story and we happily watch. I am a non Jew and have loved learning and watching your faith in real time. The pressure for content creators to place themselves on this or that side of every issue is silly and divisive by nature. Don't be bullied into posting. Stand firm in your ideals and continue living your truth for you and your family. Readers are secondary.
I appreciate your voice (always) and the space you leave for thoughtfulness and conversation. I think this crisis and it’s horrors amplifies the challenge I see in social media as such a visual, reactive medium. It incentivizes hot takes and copy paste cacophony. While I appreciate that in their grief and anger many people are tempted to raise their voices as loud and insistently as possible, it seems so damaging to me to our societies and to ourselves. I appreciate that substack is a place for a more thoughtful, written response rather than a visual one, and I’m grateful to you for writing what you did and to read the comments here.
I truly appreciate your thoughts at a very confusing time in our lives. Your mother is wise, you are fortunate to have her close by. Please stay safe and continue to be there for your family especially your two girls, who need your guidance through these difficult times. I love what Mr. Rogers said about his mother's response to tragedies "look for the caregivers"...there is good in the world. While I miss your posts and seeing you begin your day with "stirring your coffee" I understand and send you love and peace.
You are well spoken is a sea of confusion. I appreciate all that you share and, as a person fascinated by learning about different cultures and traditions, I love seeing the Jewish faith through the lense that you share. I pray for peace for all but also for some calm to return to your social media so the sharing can continue in a safe manner.
You’re articulate and wonderful. That’s why we all follow you and support you.
I understand why people want media content producers to voice their opinion, but it is not your responsibility, it’s your choice. Your opinion and your views are important, but there’s absolutely no reason why you should put yourself in harm’s way. We can donate money to the charities of our choice anonymously, we can write letters to our congresspeople, we can send supplies. That’s impactful too. This is my opinion.
This is so true. Far better to quietly commit time, and treasure and care than all this endless shouting on social media. Does it seem to you that many people (not Ilana!, but all the copy pasters) are ameliorating their own guilt through this endless cycle of posting?
Having an open mind, being curious, and being a critical thinker are all rare traits. You magically have all three. You are in an impossible place right now as a public persona, I so appreciate what you are sharing and understand why you need boundaries as well.
Thank you for being so vulnerable. It really is helpful to read your words and see the uncertainty that I’m feeling reflected back so articulately. I’m not Jewish, but I married into a Jewish family and I’m really trying to hold room for “more than one thing can be true at once” without hurting my loved ones. There’s a lot of pressure to make pronouncements or confirm allegiance…one thing we seem to all agree on is that this moment is heartbreaking and tragic from wherever you stand.
This was so well put. I also have self-doubt as a core part of my identity and while it can be helpful at times, it can also be overwhelming in times like these. ❤️
I think at times it is a huge asset (rebranded as open mindedness) and other times it can cause somewhat of an identity crisis. It's also why I was so good at logic in high school.
Thank you. Self-doubt is also a big part of my life and I like hearing it in a positive light. I am very open minded and able to see both sides of situations. I always saw it as a flaw that I couldn’t just declare a thing as being the right thing and take an instant stand as I see friends do (not involving this particular current event). I will now view it as a character strength and not a defect. ❤️
Thank you for sharing. I really respect your voice in this internet space and for what it’s worth, I find it refreshing that you operate with less of a sense of certainty than some do. When everyone seems to think that THEY know the truth, I find comfort with those who care deeply, but from a place of listening and acting in their own personal sphere rather than just spewing out more information and content.
Thank you for your words. I am feeling very conflicted and struggling to express my thoughts. It helps to know I’m not alone, it feels like everyone both online and in my circles knows exactly how they feel. Meanwhile, I just typed and deleted my thoughts on the matter several times over. I hope for a resolution that won’t cause too much more innocent blood to be spilled but I don’t know if one exists.
Ilana this really resonates with me, also a Jewish woman in NY. Your paragraph about what it's like "arguing in real life" is exactly what I experience all the time, despite how much time I spend learning about a variety a different things. And this is definitely no different for me and I'm struggling. Thank you for this post.
Thank you for a beautifully written post on this really challenging time. I can only imagine the pressure you're under from all this DMs and such. I love you and your family and look forward to your posts again soon. Stay safe and remember there are tons of us who support you. 💕
I can only imagine how hard it is as a Jewish family in a public sphere right now. It’s hard and heavy without adding a degree of fear, too. I appreciate why you’ve stepped back, for now. Thanks for sharing with us.
As always you’ve spoken with intelligence and grace. Thank you.
Thank you for this; this is a truly awful situation for people on every side. There are no winners, and it’s all just painful. I always appreciate your perspective, so thank you for sharing it!
You owe your readers nothing. You share your story and we happily watch. I am a non Jew and have loved learning and watching your faith in real time. The pressure for content creators to place themselves on this or that side of every issue is silly and divisive by nature. Don't be bullied into posting. Stand firm in your ideals and continue living your truth for you and your family. Readers are secondary.
This!! ❤️
I appreciate your voice (always) and the space you leave for thoughtfulness and conversation. I think this crisis and it’s horrors amplifies the challenge I see in social media as such a visual, reactive medium. It incentivizes hot takes and copy paste cacophony. While I appreciate that in their grief and anger many people are tempted to raise their voices as loud and insistently as possible, it seems so damaging to me to our societies and to ourselves. I appreciate that substack is a place for a more thoughtful, written response rather than a visual one, and I’m grateful to you for writing what you did and to read the comments here.
I truly appreciate your thoughts at a very confusing time in our lives. Your mother is wise, you are fortunate to have her close by. Please stay safe and continue to be there for your family especially your two girls, who need your guidance through these difficult times. I love what Mr. Rogers said about his mother's response to tragedies "look for the caregivers"...there is good in the world. While I miss your posts and seeing you begin your day with "stirring your coffee" I understand and send you love and peace.
You are well spoken is a sea of confusion. I appreciate all that you share and, as a person fascinated by learning about different cultures and traditions, I love seeing the Jewish faith through the lense that you share. I pray for peace for all but also for some calm to return to your social media so the sharing can continue in a safe manner.
I value your online presence and trust in your opinions. I’m glad to see you in this space. I have no other words.
You’re articulate and wonderful. That’s why we all follow you and support you.
I understand why people want media content producers to voice their opinion, but it is not your responsibility, it’s your choice. Your opinion and your views are important, but there’s absolutely no reason why you should put yourself in harm’s way. We can donate money to the charities of our choice anonymously, we can write letters to our congresspeople, we can send supplies. That’s impactful too. This is my opinion.
This is so true. Far better to quietly commit time, and treasure and care than all this endless shouting on social media. Does it seem to you that many people (not Ilana!, but all the copy pasters) are ameliorating their own guilt through this endless cycle of posting?
No, not really. I just think people are lost for words and honestly don’t know how to do something - we’re all caught in this I NEED TO DO SOMETHING!