On October 7th, 2023, Hamas had attacked Israel. They invaded a music festival, killing over 260 people, and eventually attacked Israel with 2,200 rockets. Since the war began, as of today, there have been more than 1,400 deaths, 3,500 wounded, and more than 200 kidnapped. These tragic and ungraspable events left our Cresskill community heartbroken. To see the impact the war had on students in the building I spoke to sophomores, juniors, and seniors who shared their thoughts, experiences, and feelings.
Maya Shiber, a junior, has experienced personal tragedies, including kidnapping of close family friends and her dad’s, best friend’s mother getting slaughtered in front of her grandchildren. Maya adds, “I feel really hurt because it is 2023 and although people have always hated Jews, it has not been this bad since the Holocaust.”
Shelly Tal, a sophomore, has family members actively involved in the conflict in Israel, with her aunt making meals for soldiers and her cousin serving in Gaza. Shelly says how she feels about her cousins going to fight in the war, “I am really scared for them and proud of them for going back and fighting, I feel guilty for being here and not being in Israel helping my people.”
Tamar, a senior, also mentioned that she has a sense of guilt for not being in Israel and actively helping people during these difficult times. Tamar mentioned how her aunts and uncles got called back into the military, causing her to worry and uncertainty. She said: “I text them every day and when it takes them days to answer it makes me think they are dead.” She also mentions how some people’s job in the army now is to clear out dead bodies instead of sitting behind a desk and helping like they were expecting to do. Tamar also emphasizes the importance of spreading accurate information in a world with fake news and traumatic content. She feels as if there is not much she can do except spread posts and bring awareness.
Yoav, a sophomore, who is a part of the CHS Jewish club mentions him and club members have helped. He says, “We have a box for writing letters to soldiers in Israel and the soldiers have been saying that they like and appreciate when they send them letters.” They have also had countless meetings and bake sales to raise money to the soldiers in need.
As a community, Cresskill has been deeply affected by these tragedies. Our classmates have reminded us that behind social media, these are real people experiencing fear and grief towards everything. Our Cresskill community is truly hoping that this war comes to an end and we wish safety upon everyone in Israel.
