Shimon Apisdorf is the author of the Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Survival Kit and the Judaism in a Nutshell series. His newest book, Israel in a Nutshell, will be published in the spring of 2002.
	7 more things you can do Tara Yoffe

Is it possible that life goes on as if nothing has happened? Is it possible that elderly Jewish women and young Jewish children are deliberately blown to pieces? Is it possible that we watch the news or read the headlines; groan, sigh, throw up our hands in disbelief and then flip to another channel or the sports page? Is it possible that bat mitzvah receptions are littered with body parts? Is it possible that life goes on as if nothing has happened?

Judaism is a commandment-centered way of life. There is a commandment that says, "Life shall not go on as if nothing has happened!" In Hebrew the Torah puts the command as follows: Loh ta'amod al dam reyecha, which means, You shall not stand by while your fellow Jew's blood is spilt.

But what can we do? Can we stop the bombers? Can we restart the peace process? Can we bring back the dead? Can we wave our hands and make all the evils in the world disappear?

The answer, of course, is no, no, no and no. And if the answer is no, if there is nothing we can do, then we are left with a question: must life indeed go on as if nothing has happened?

I would like to suggest that again, the answer is no. While it's true that we may not be able to stop the suicide slaughterers or make evil disappear, nonetheless, we can and must live life differently - because something has happened. Something dreadful.

The following are eleven suggestions for living differently.

1.	Pray for the recovery of wounded victims. Send an email to Prayers-InjuredVAT@yahoogroups.com. They will send you regular updates with the names and status of people who have been injured in attacks.
2.	Forget about March Madness. If you love college basketball, this year, ignore it. Instead, fill your mind with thoughts of your fellow Jews. Perhaps spend the hours normally reserved for watching big games reading a book about Jewish history or Judaism.
3.	Get the facts. The situation in Israel and the Middle East is very complicated. The only way to really know what's going on and develop informed opinions is to get the facts. Some great Web sites are aipac.org, us-israel.org, honestreporting.com, aish.com/jewishissues/middleast, and memri.org. Also, you can go to http://jewishagencyed.org/hasbara/pers.html where you'll find dozens more useful resources on Israel. Two excellent books are "Israel: A History" by Martin Gilbert and "Myths and Facts" by Mitchell G. Bard.
4.	Their pain is our pain. While you are lying in bed at night, imagine what it's like to be the sister, child or mother of someone who yesterday was full of life and today is nothing but scattered bits of bone and flesh. It's a mitzvah to cry.
5.	Get involved. Contact AIPAC (American Israel Public Action Committee) or ZOA (Zionist Organization of America) or other groups to find out ways you can make a difference for the Jews of Israel.
6.	Help families who have lost loved ones to terrorist killings. A Long Island couple that just couldn't go on as if nothing had happened started the Israel Emergency Solidarity Fund. Check out their Web site at walk4israel.com.
7.	Pray for the Jewish people. We are all Jews and somehow we are all in this together. If you attend synagogue regularly, make sure to include the safety of Jews everywhere, particularly in Israel, in your prayers. If you don't attend regularly, that's fine. Set aside a few minutes a day and pray for the well being of your fellow Jews.
8.	One less movie or dinner a month. Once a month, instead of going out to dinner, to the theatre or to a movie, do something Jewish. Attend a class or lecture about Judaism, perhaps volunteer at a synagogue or some other Jewish organization - anything - as long as you are deepening your bond with the Jewish people.
9.	The power of the book of Psalms. There is a time-honored custom for Jews to gather and recite King David's Psalms in times of distress and these are times of unimaginable distress. Once a week, say a few Psalms together with your family, or even gather some friends together to recite Psalms on behalf of the Jews of Israel. English translations of Psalms are available at any Jewish bookstore. Some appropriate psalms for these times are numbers 83, 87, 121, 130, 137 and 142.
10.	Go to Israel. I was at the shiva home of Malki Roth, a 15-year-old girl who was blasted to pieces with her best friend in the Sbarro pizza shop. Malkis's father, Arnold, asked that I deliver a message to the Jews of America. "Tell them we love it here" he said, "Tell them life in Israel is wonderful. Tell them to come, to visit, to join us. Tell them we love it here."
11.	Invite a Jew to your Seder. At horrific times like these, Jews need to reach out to one another. Passover is coming and this is a wonderful opportunity to think about a Jew who may be alone and to invite her or him to join your Seder.

Whatever you choose to do as an American Jew, whether it's an idea from this list or an idea of your own - whatever you do - please, don't continue living life as if nothing has happened.

This article is dedicated to the memory of Daniel Pearl.

Views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.

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