As your visiting shaliach (Israeli emissary), I have spent the past several months learning, sharing, connecting, and growing with you. But I need to be honest, this past week has been one of the most difficult since I arrived in Pittsburgh back in the middle of January.
While I am physically here in the United States, my heart is in Israel, specifically in Haifa, with my family and friends, as they endure yet another wave of attacks and violence. Like so many Israelis abroad, I have spent sleepless nights following the situation and feeling overwhelmed, emotional, even guilty for not being there. There were moments I wished I could be back home with my loved ones in a bomb shelter, just to be close to them. I know that my sense of helplessness and regret may sound extreme to some, but it’s how I feel. It is my reality.
And yet, through all of this, I’ve been reminded how important my role is here in Pittsburgh.
Being an Israeli emissary isn’t only about teaching Israeli dances, playing music, or sharing food. It’s about giving voice to the real, human experience of life in Israel—with all of its complexities and nuance—to this community. It’s about connection, not through headlines or social media, but through intentional human interaction from the heart. In moments like this, when our people are under threat, we need each other more than ever.
What’s kept me grounded during this very difficult time is you—this warm, thoughtful, and supportive community. Every person who has asked how I am doing or simply shown kindness has made a difference. I don’t take it for granted and it has meant the world to me. I have experienced firsthand that our strength, not only as a Jewish people, but as a broader community, comes from how we show up for one another.
The relationship between the two largest Jewish communities in the world—Israel and North America—is one of shared destiny and deep mutual responsibility. The physical distance is real, but the emotional bond is stronger. We are connected, and we must continue to remind ourselves that we are one people with one destiny.
So now that you know what is weighing on me, I want to say thank you and I want to invite anyone who has questions, thoughts, or just wants to talk to please come find me. My door and my heart are both open to conversation and connection. That’s why I’m here.
On a lighter, but very important note, the JCC Maccabi Campus Games are just around the corner. The show must go on, and as you might imagine, with less than seven weeks until athletes from 51 delegations from around the world arrive in Pittsburgh, there is still a lot that needs to be done. I hope you will accept my invitation to join us as a volunteer by following THIS LINK and to be a part of one of the most powerful and meaningful Maccabi Games the world has ever seen. Toda rabah and yallah Maccabi!
Wishing you and your families a Shabbat shalom,
Dean Aseef
Israeli Shaliach, JCC of Greater Pittsburgh
