By Carine Chitayat
SAN DIEGO — My mother passed away in Geneva, Switzerland on June 10th.
On June 13th, Israel conducted the first strikes of an air campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear program. Operation Rising Lion will go down in history as the ultimate game changer for reshaping the future of Israel, the Middle East, and the world.
My heart has been hurting with the loss of my mother, but immediately, hurt also for the people of Israel and our adopted families. I reached out to them, even in such times. All adopters from Adopt a Family Foundation reached out to their adopted family in Israel. That is what we do.
As always, we are one and deeply care for each other. We are monitoring the situation daily.
Although we are filled with pride in the extraordinary accomplishments by the IDF and Israel’s security forces, we know and feel what our families are going through – living in a war within a war…now for the past 20 months.
I just hung up the phone with one of my mother’s childhood friends, who lives between Paris and Israel – and even when in Paris, has her heart in Israel.
I was brought up surrounded by true Zionists who had the dream to make Israel a reality. She reminded me how my mother and her would raise money for Israel holding their blue box. She reminded me this morning how they danced at the announcement of the proclamation of the Independence of Israel. They were 12 years old.
I know now why I am so concerned about Israel. I know now why I care about our adopted families so much.
I feel privileged to have co-founded Adopt a Family Foundation, an organization that brings direct emotional and financial support to victims of terror in Israel. I am grateful that, through Adopt a Family Foundation, I met so many of you who deeply care about Israel.
Now more than ever, it is the time to be united and strong and show our love and support to Israel. Let’s hope that the cease fire with Iran brings calmer times ahead and that all the remaining hostages be freed soon.
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Carine Chitayat is the co-founder of Adopt A Family Foundation, a person-to-person nonprofit organization which provides financial and emotional support to terror victims, including residents of Sha’ar Hanegev, San Diego’s Sister City.