Altruism is a topic I have conflicted feelings about. I tend to avoid the practice, topic, or anything related to altruism altogether. This is not because I am a stingy person, or a hoarder, but I believe altruism can add messy drama in a relationship of any level. Altruism at the start of a relationship can lead to a savior/overly dependent mentality for the duration of the relationship. Altruism at the end of a relationship can be perceived as a “last stand” to keep the relationship alive. Altruism anywhere between the start and the end can be viewed as a power play to request something at some point in the future. At least, that’s my opinion.
But there are plenty of ways to view altruism, and the thought can arise in unexpected places, such as one’s living room1.
Voices
“She told me that Hamas terrorists were in her home with weapons and were shooting.” – Adi Vaxman, founder of Operation Israel2.
“We couldn’t find her, we spent hours trying to track her down.” – Adi Vaxman, founder of Operation Israel3.
“I was sitting here watching everything burn over there and thinking, ‘I have to do something’.” – Adi Vaxman, founder of Operation Israel4.
“Armed terrorists were raping women, shooting people indiscriminately, beheading them, they livestreamed themselves doing this. The brutality was shocking.” – Adi Vaxman, founder of Operation Israel5.
“All my friends are dead.” – Vaxman’s stepdaughter6.
“We didn’t hear from him for two weeks, every day, I checked the lists of the dead.” – Adi Vaxman, founder of Operation Israel7.
“We trained thousands of officers and soldiers on how to find the explosives.” – Adi Vaxman, founder of Operation Israel8.
“Our goal is to save lives, that’s it.” – Adi Vaxman, founder of Operation Israel9.
Reflection
I believe survival is one of the primary aspects of life that provides purpose. As Adi Vaxman and her organization, Operation Israel, have demonstrated, they respond quickly to requests to save lives. Operation Israel works with soldiers to save lives. The work of saving lives can give people, like Adi Vaxman, a sense of purpose.
But I believe survival extends beyond one’s physical life. People find purpose in saving their intangible ideas, hosting protests that can lead to aggressive assaults in the name of what one claims to stand for.
I believe attacks, on any level, can be life changing. The threat to one’s life can bring up emotions one has never felt before, emotions one may feel like no one understands. For those who have been attacked, I sincerely apologize and hope there is someone who makes you feel understood and cared for.
I believe attacks, on any level, can be transformative. Returning to what you once thought and have done, may not be easy when you experience something that is quite personally harmful. People tend to find ways to move through life that they may have not considered before. Some people even develop unconscious mechanisms to allow one’s mind to move forward past the pain.
However, there are some who can witness a raid and retreat. There are some who can be pushed and pull away. There are some who can be assailed and use it as their aid for their altruism.
Adi Vaxman, Operation Israel, and others.
Thank you!
References
- Yellin, Deena. “NJ Woman Turns Grief from Attack in Israel into Massive Aid Effort.” NorthJersey.com, October 7, 2026. https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/religion/2026/10/07/nj-woman-grief-israel-attack-massive-aid-effort/91980028007/. ↩︎
- Yellin, Deena. ↩︎
- Yellin, Deena. ↩︎
- Yellin, Deena. ↩︎
- Yellin, Deena. ↩︎
- Yellin, Deena. ↩︎
- Yellin, Deena. ↩︎
- Yellin, Deena. ↩︎
- Yellin, Deena. ↩︎
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