I recently saw a video clip from the first season of the West Wing about the virtue of a proportional response. It struck me deeply as I feel as frustrated about Iran attacking Israel and the definition of ‘proportional response’ being used by the West as President Bartlett is in the clip about Syria. Since Iran fired nearly 500 ballistic missiles at Israel, does that mean Israel should shoot 500 ballistic missiles at Iran? Would taking out their oil refineries or nuclear facilities be considered proportional to 500 ballistic missiles? It also inspired me to go back and rewatch the show for the umpteenth time as it inspires me and we live in a time with such great need for inspiration.

One of the great things about the West Wing is that the characters are strong, the issues still relevant, and the challenges are real. I don’t always agree with President Bartlett, Leo McGary, Josh, Toby, CJ, or Sam, but I enjoy the challenges they face and the way they think through things. I find myself wishing for the moral clarity of President Bartlett, even during struggles. I wish for the outrage of Toby Ziegler in his quest to be moral and just. I enjoy the struggles of Josh Lyman as he tries to do the right thing but often struggles with the question of, “do the ends justify the means?”

In Season 1, episode 10, Toby Ziegler is called out to the scene of a death because his card was found in the pocket of the coat the homeless man who died was wearing. Toby realizes it was a coat he gave to Goodwill and then realizes that the homeless man who died was a Marine veteran from Korea. He is offended and humbled by the way this veteran is being treated. It took 90 minutes for them to remove his body. He wasn’t going to be honored with a military funeral despite getting awarded a Purple Heart. He intervenes, uses President Bartlett’s name, and arranges for a funeral at Arlington National Cemetary with full military honors for this veteran.

At the same time, the episode explores Mrs. Landingham’s backstory. Her twin sons were in medical school when they were drafted to Viet Nam. They could have gotten an exemption because of medical school but chose not to. She shared with Charlie that she and her husband begged them get the exemption but they refused, wanting to serve their country as they felt is was their obligation. Both of her sons were killed in battle, paying the ultimate price for our freedom.

Toby speaks with President Bartlett about using his name to arrange the funeral. When President Bartlett makes the comment that every homeless veteran would now come ask for special treatment, Toby replies, “I hope so.” That struck me deeply. I never served in the military. After the movie Top Gun, I wanted to join the air force to fly jets but when I found out my vision disqualified me, I lost interest. It’s a decision I have often wondered about, sometimes with deep regret. I have friends that made Aliyah to serve in the IDF and have often wondered why I never considered that. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for veterans. They put their lives at risk for our freedom. They are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the rest of us. I feel a deep debt to all of them and it has always bothered me that we have homeless veterans. We owe them everything and don’t adquately repay them. Toby’s comments are how I feel.

When Toby leaves for the funeral, Mrs. Landingham tells him she wants to join him and go to the funeral. My heart ached for her and tears filled my eyes. There are so many families that have lost members due to their military service that are not aware of. They live with the pain daily. It brought me to today and the war between Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah, and ultimately Iran.

I have many friends who have children serving in the IDF. I have many friends who have served in the IDF and are now serving once again as they have been called up for reserves. Many have been recalled multiple times, putting their lives on hold for months at a time, risking their lives. One of my friends was a commander in Gaza for the first four months of the war. I spent time with him right after he left Gaza and the impact on him was palpable. I could see it in his eyes. I could hear it in his voice. He told me that on the plane from Israel to the US it was the first time he had quiet in four months and he finally began to process what he had experienced and seen. He spoke very briefly about how many times he was almost killed. It was hard to see and hear.

Every time they announce IDF casualties, I am very hesitant to click on the link to see who the person is that was killed, afraid it will be one of my friends or one of my friends’ children. I have been lucky so far that none of the names are people that I know. Yet each and every one is family. Each and every one is a terrible loss. I make sure to read each name slowly, their age, their hometown, and anything about them that is shared. I feel an obligation to them and their families to know about their loved one who paid the ultimate price to ensure the future and safety of the Jewish people.

When I was in Israel in July, we went to visit the grave of one of the participant’s friends in Modi’in. He was a medic who was leaving Gaza in a car with other medics when a rocket fired by Hamas his their car, killing them all. He was just like Mrs. Landingham’s sons in The West Wing. As we stood by his grave, hearing stories about him, my heart broke. I looked around that section of the cemetary and saw all the graves of these young people who gave their lives to protect Israel and the Jewish people. That section was just for those killed since October 7th. There were far too many graves. I walked through, documenting them all on video, because owe it to them and their families to remember them.

Walter Hitchcock, a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel from the New Mexico Military Institute, is credited with the saying, “Freedom is not free.” It is one of the most accurate quotes I have ever seen. We, as Americans and as Jews owe a debt to those who keep us free. The US military. The IDF. It is a debt we can never repay and a debt that as Americans, we barely pay the interest on. We must do better.

During my last conversation with my friend who was the commander in Gaza, he casually commented that he had “just landed in NY and two days ago I left Rafa.” He said it as if he was reporting that he just came back from the grocery store. During my May trip to Israel, he left our group because he had to back into Gaza that night. We had plans to spend more time together that trip but he spent the rest of the time I was there in Gaza. I have had business meetings postponed because they were called up for “melowim”, Hebrew for reserve duty.

These are warriors. These are heroes. They fight to keep us safe. They fight for our values and for our way of life. Many of them are 18 or 19 years old. They risk their lives for us. Let’s make sure we never hide our gratitude for their service or their sacrifice.

Am Yisrael Chai. God bless America. May those serving in the IDF and the US military be kept safe in performing their sacred duty.