Settling into my seat in synagogue one morning earlier this week, I suddenly noticed a rifle propped up against the wall. The scene was jarring. Though this summer will mark 15 years since we made Aliyah, there are still some sights that can give me pause. While it is not uncommon to see guns in synagogues in Israel, the contrast between the image of the gun and the image of its owner – wrapped in a tallit and deeply immersed in prayer – hit me hard.

To the outside observer, our soldiers, modern-day Maccabees, are armed warriors ready at a moment’s notice to defend their people and head out to battle. But those in the know understand that these young men (and women) are just as much at home in the synagogue, at work, in a university classroom, hiking the country, traveling the world, or spending time with their families. Indeed, that is where they prefer to be. They will answer the call to duty and put everything else aside to be the fighters they are trained to be. But the army in Israel is a people’s army, and for the majority of our soldiers this is not their career.

As I watched the gun’s owner sway back and forth in prayer, I imagined what he had likely seen and experienced over the last two years and marveled at the seeming simplicity with which he continued to turn to and call out to God. I wondered what gave him the strength to put his gun aside and focus his attention on his relationship with the Almighty.

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Settling into my seat in synagogue this........

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