From the Home Front  

Reader roundtable: Our nation’s at war — what’s our role? Six women weigh in

As part of a nation at war, we’re all struggling with feelings of pain and fear. But those of us not directly impacted by the crisis are left wondering: what should day-to-day life look like now? Should we be striving to create a sense of normalcy and structure for our kids, or be consumed by grief? Where is the line between protecting our emotional health and being insensitive? How do we balance practical assistance with spiritual efforts? Six women weigh in.

Chani

42, Yerushalayim

Russi

40, Yerushalayim

Yocheved

36, Ramat Beit Shemesh

Avigail

35, Monsey

Esti

31, Lakewood

Rena

28, Toronto

Yocheved

Let’s start with the news: How often are you checking the news, do you think it’s good, bad, helpful?

I’m trying to cut down on my obsessive news refreshing, but when I told that to a friend, she said, “Oh, so you check the news twice a day?” I was like, “Uh, try five times an hour instead of every minute.” It’s a work in progress.

Esti

I think I check the news too much. If I didn’t analyze everything, I think I’d have a more honest view of what’s going on. If you really believe that these people are all puppets — which I do — what does it matter what the facts on the ground are? I think it’s causing me to lose my focus, since I’m busy getting angry at things that are irrelevant.

Yocheved

But really, you just see the rising anti-Semitism and the falling levels of caring around the world when you check the news. I think there was this immediate shock and horror that the whole world felt, and now it’s fading, and that’s horrifying.

Rena

You don’t think the anger or fear drives you toward action, or teshuvah, something?