Wikimedia Commons

A main street in Ukraine left destroyed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Whether it is an article about a recent protest, a statistic about the death toll or an article about the peace negotiations, the media and our everyday conversations sometimes create the illusion that the Israel-Hamas war is the only major conflict going on in the world. Although this conflict is very upsetting – and close to home for many members of the CESJDS community – it is important to pay attention to conflicts going on in the rest of the world as well in order to stay an informed citizen. 

One conflict that is frequently disregarded is the civil war in Sudan. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, since the conflict began in April of 2023, more than eight million Sudanese people have been displaced, and more than 15,000 have been killed. This war has resulted in what the World Food Programme has referred to as “the world’s largest hunger crisis,” and must not be ignored. 

Sudan is not the only country experiencing civil war. For the past 13 years, Syria has been in a state of war, resulting in more than 300,000 total deaths, according to the United Nations. This war has resulted in the torturing and murdering of many civilians, however it seems that we hardly hear about it. 

Both of these conflicts have resulted in extremely high death tolls, something that is simply morally incorrect. Instead of solely focusing our minds and activism on Israel and Gaza, we should pay attention to these places as well. 

Additionally, since the war in Israel began, it seems we have forgotten about the Russia-Ukraine War, which was very prominent in the media prior to Oct. 7. According to the New York Times, last year the death toll surpassed 500,000. I understand that it was difficult for many Americans to continue to pay attention to this war as it went on, however it is crucial we continue to inform ourselves. 

By ensuring we are well educated, we can participate in activism on a higher, more accurate level and stand up against misinformation. Especially in the age of social media, it is easy to post about something you don’t know much about just because it seems important from one post, however these posts aren’t always accurate. 

Although we should not compare conflicts, it is important that we do not ignore the other conflicts and wars going on in the world. In the Jewish community, Israel’s war seems more personal than other ones, however in the spirit of being fair and balanced, we should educate ourselves on other conflicts as well.

Specifically in Judaism, we are taught the value of “Tikkun Olam,” or repairing the world. This value is a direct example of how our religion directly points us to pay attention to the world around us and do what we can to help and stay informed. 

In order to stay informed, I recommend taking time out of your schedule to read the news. Instead of just reading headlines on Instagram, I recommend looking at websites like the New York Times, the Voice of America and the Washington Post. It is important to read articles that might be outside your normal comfort zone, so you can truly be a knowledgeable and caring member of our society.