October 10, I noticed that the streets of Tel Aviv were empty of men β especially any eligible ones. Within the first few months of the Israel-Hamas war , only older gentlemen and mostly women walked through the streets.
I remember those first few months, watching as men disappeared for reserve duty, leaving me with a question: Will I find a mate? They began to come back, slowly, as the army began to add in rotations. Suddenly I identified a new complexity. Men came home, yes, but many carried the weight of their trauma with them.
Too hard, too sudden, too desperate β whether at a bar or even at a Shabbat dinner table. Was it a lack of patriotism? A broken bone? Had they not been useful to their units? Is anyone talking about dating during wartime? Making romantic connections with the backdrop of sirens and pandemonium has made the dating realm a minefield of its own.
The ongoing threat of conflict not only complicates matters but also makes it challenging to discern who truly had the ability to be present and who had returned broken. In a simple call this week, he asked me to consider Jewish communities in the US that might suit my lifestyle, arguing that while I left New York for something else, there could be something beneficial for me in another city or state.
He said he worries about my safety all day long. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter.
