Jewish Firefighters? Holy Hell 🔥

How Ner Tamid is protecting New Yorkers, supporting Israel, and inspiring Jewish pride.

Shalom from Israel!

!שלום מישראל

We’ve had some crazy news here in the last 24 hours, as Israel bombed Iran’s nuclear sites, causing Iran to retaliate with rockets and Israel intercepting them. Thank you to everyone who reached out for my safety.

Me and my new friends right now at the beach! No rockets here, just love and temporary tattoos.

If you think the timing of the news was a coincidence, think again ;) Let’s just say I’m glad my meetings with top commanders and Mossad finally persuaded them to take swift and direct action. Sof sof!

In all seriousness, I just spent an incredible week volunteering on an IDF base and I can’t wait to tell you about my experiences.

‘til then, I’m sharing my latest piece with Jewish Unpacked about a local group of Jewish firefighters who are not only protecting New Yorkers, but have been supporting Israel since the start of the war, standing strong in the face of hate, and inspiring others to live more Jewishly.

I learned about them last year when one of their members emailed me after finding this Substack.

That’s one of the joyous wonders of writing a Jewish blog—you never know who you’re going to meet. I’ve made connections with such fascinating and kind people from all over the world.

From Ner Tamid’s Instagram

This firefighter and I got coffee, and he shared his perspectives and stories, some of which I was unable to include in the piece. One thing I noticed between him and the fire chief that I interviewed was how neither of them wanted the story to center on themselves. They weren’t seeking recognition as individuals. Instead, they saw themselves as part of something larger, a unit working together toward one mission. Their humility, their deep sense of purpose, and their devotion to the greater good AND their Jewishness were inspiring. I’ve witnessed this ethos while volunteering in Israel as well. There’s nothing else like it.

Taking next week off. Follow my adventures on Instagram: @theshabbatdrop. Praying for safety, peace, and a return of the rest of the hostages!

Shabbat Shalom from Tel Aviv!

-מעיין