Between the Bullet and the Boulder: A Journey of Awakening

How a near-death experience on a desert mountain taught me about privilege, interconnectedness, and the radical power of compassion

The desert called to me, as it had many others—but answering that call nearly cost me my life. After six months in Haifa studying Hebrew and immersing myself in literature about the Holocaust, I craved the open wilderness, a space to breathe and reflect on the chaos and suffering that had shaped this land for millennia.