The quote above means “While I breathe, I hope” and I find this describes humanity impeccably. If you think about it, hope is all we have. On the 7th of October, I called my older sister. She lives in Nirit, a small village not far from Tel Aviv in Israel. I called her to ask if the unprecedented and vicious attack on Israel has affected them. That’s when she told me my 19-year-old nephew and 22-year old niece have been called to the frontlines to fight as it is compulsory to protect your country in Israel. I spoke to her this morning to ask how she was holding up and if there was any news. She told me that the city her mother lives in, Ramat Gan, is being bombed and she sees rockets outside her windows. 

As I was talking to her, she was on her way to the camp base of the soldiers protecting their village from many possible invasions and attacks to do laundry for them. After that she is going round houses to collect and send off clothes and toys for babies that have been evacuated. Tomorrow, she has a meeting with women whose husbands have been conscripted; they are going to discuss ways to cope, what to do with the free time, how to stay positive and how to carry on. This is hope. The thing that keeps my sister going. The thing that lets her get out of bed every morning knowing that her only two children are fighting a war. She told me she is happy she can stay busy because otherwise she would not be able to eat or sleep. That is hope. And that is what hope can do in troubled times – save people.

I was unsure about what to write for this question. I could have talked about small personal goals, important scientific research and discoveries, wars and big political movements. But after I spoke with my sister I realised that is the definition of hope, that she is the perfect example. She hopes while she breathes and she breathes while she hopes.

Written by:
Anna Fabrikant