The days have gone by…in a total blur.

If I push myself hard, and check my calendar, I know I got my hair and nails done. I had a few lunches with friends and colleagues. I unintentionally have abandoned regular exercise and daily showers. I have been consumed, all day long, with reading, watching, and talking about things related to the war. Oh, and acts of antisemitism. Antisemitism right here in the good ‘ole U.S. of A.

But, I don’t want to get ahead of myself…..

My efforts (and those of my colleagues) on Days 3, 4, 5, and 6 to evacuate the Alexander Muss High School kids from Israel, as the war started, did not go unnoticed. After Jan Jaben-Eilon published her piece in the Atlanta Jewish Times, other media outlets ran the story too. Michael Seiden of Atlanta’s WSB-TV interviewed me and put me on the six o’clock news. Then his buddy Ryan interviewed me with a producer and got me on CNN with Anderson Cooper. From there, the Atlanta Journal Constitution interviewed me and published a nice write-up in the paper. And, my favorite was an on-the-air conversation with Mark Arum of 95.5 WSB. (For posterity sake, I’m publishing all of the links in the “Favorites” section of my site.)

Those who know me well know I’ve never sought (or married!) fame or fortune. I now know I cannot live in the limelight and am glad my “fifteen minutes of fame” are up. But, at the same time, I learned a lot in the process of temporary newfound notoriety. As I told the story again last week, this time to a Jewish National Fund group of twenty women, it became clear that:

• People hunger for “feel good” stories, even during the darkest of times.
• People who feel afraid and powerless, especially these days, want to hear stories that motivate and inspire them to get involved.
• People like hearing about acts of defiance…not taking no for an answer and breaking rules to get sh*t done.
• Women like stories about other women who make things happen without permission or input from men :-).
• Even more importantly, I realized that my job was far from over. There is much more to be done!

So, I’m busy again. For the last two weeks I’ve been working with Jewish Federations to organize “Solidarity Missions” to Israel. These trips consist of one or two days on the ground, visiting the communities and the people who’ve been devastated by this war. They meet with families of the hostages, survivors, injured, soldiers, and service and healthcare providers. And they commit to bringing back to local American communities the stories of suffering, resilience, and hope. A few missions already have taken place and many more are on the books.

Also, I am working on “Volunteer Missions” to Israel. My brother, Rabbi Craig Scheff of the Orangetown Jewish Center, has been going to Israel, yearly for the past 16 years, to volunteer with various organizations and work on a variety of projects. This year, he refused to cancel his scheduled trip; rather, becoming even more determined to direct and focus all volunteer activities on where they are needed most and where they can make the greatest impact.

I am going with him. On Sunday, with a group of 18 people, we are going to Israel. We will do two days of agricultural work; a day volunteering on an army base; and a day helping with collections and distributions at a donation and packaging facility. And, starting the week of December 10th, I’ll be working with the Jewish National Fund-USA on Volunteer Missions that will operate through the end of March.

All of this is far from over. There’s lots to do. And there’s room for everyone to help in a variety of meaningful ways.

I rushed out of Israel a month ago. Now I’m going back with my brother ready to work. It’ll be great to see members of my Kenes Tours team. I look forward to hugging my sisters. I want to make a difference. We will win this war…for the sake of the Jewish people and for all humanity.

Shabbat Shalom. #AmYisraelChai