To Our Bubuleh Mishpacha,
We’ve been dreading writing this statement. Absolutely dreading it. But as a Jewish-owned and inspired brand, we believe it’s not an option to stay silent, even though it’s nearly impossible to find the right words in these heartbreaking moments.
Which brings us to choices.
Everyone will make their own in the face of last week’s horrific terrorist attack in Israel and the following events. Here are ours:
We choose to stand with Israel and its people. To our friends and family in Israel, we want you to know that we love you, we’re here for you, and we stand with you. We choose to listen in these coming days to understand where and how we can best support you and Israel during this time.
We choose to stand on the side of truth, and call the October 7th massacre out for what it is; a senseless, modern-day pogrom. We firmly reject any notion that Israel or its people bear responsibility for this tragic violence inflicted upon them.
We choose not to look away. The images and videos coming out of Israel are soul-crushing. Regardless, we will bear witness with the knowledge that there will be some, and there have been some, who will deny the events that have occurred. We choose to share the collective weight of these painful truths.
We choose to call out Antisemitism wherever we see it. The amount of Antisemitism we’ve seen stemming from this violence is abhorrent. We condemn it in the strongest way possible. For too long, we have allowed Antisemitism to go without accountability or consequence. No more. We choose to lean into the discomfort of having difficult conversations with friends, colleagues, and family.
We choose to center our Jewishness. In times when the world comes for our Jewishness, when we are afraid of who we are and where we come from, we choose to love this part of ourselves even more. We choose to love our communities more. We choose not to hide.
We choose humanity. We choose to mourn all innocent lives lost, Israeli and Palestinian alike, and use our voice to speak against hatred. We choose to act out of love.
We choose hope. This is not the first time hatred has come for the Jewish people, and it will not be the last. Despite it all, we have survived and we will survive. We choose to believe that our best days as a Jewish community have yet to come and that one day - against all odds - we’ll see peace.
Am Yisrael Chai.
With so much love,
Jordan
Founder & CEO
P.S. We've been sharing more of our thoughts on Instagram, so please follow us there if you haven't already.
