Commentary

After last Oct. 7, I was horrified watching the atrocities on the news and reading about how vulnerable Israel became.

This article was sponsored by and produced in partnership with Hillel International, the world’s largest Jewish campus organization.

I’ve never felt more like a spy than when I was handed two folders of alien case files at the National Archives in Kansas City. 

In Israel, we use different words for goodbye. In most one-on-one conversations, we just say “bye,” like the wannabe Americans we are. The more common phrase, “yalla bye,” is a true testament to the Israeli nature of direct and hasty goodbyes, very unlike the Midwestern goodbyes I’ve become accustomed to here in Kansas City. 

On Saturday, June 24, as I walked to our synagogue for prayers [in Cobb County, Georgia], I was greeted by the horrific sight of massive swastika flags. There was a group of agitators shouting antisemitic taunts and holding signs that promoted nasty anti-Jewish conspiracy theories.

“La tefila, la tefila” — the Judeo-Spanish call to worship echoed through the cobblestone streets. The caller’s reminder to the faithful mingled with a whispering sea breeze and the first chirps of bird melodies. 

I am passionate about preserving the memory of the Holocaust — but not in the way it’s been done in the past.

I am thrilled to be interning with The Chronicle this summer. I am excited to be part of staff and know that combining my background of Judaism with my passion for storytelling will give me many exciting opportunities.

My name is Gerry Trilling, and recently I learned that my genetic kidney disease (polycystic kidney disease-PKD) has progressed.