I stood outside an armored synagogue in Istanbul and realized why I’m a Zionist

Forty years ago, on Sept. 6, 1986, terrorists armed with machine guns and grenades stormed Neve Shalom Synagogue in Istanbul during Shabbat morning prayers. Twenty-two Jews were murdered in minutes. The attack was attributed to the Abu Nidal Organization, and when the congregation rebuilt, it left the bullet marks in the marble beside the ark unrepaired. They wanted everyone who prayed there to remember.

This summer, I stood outside those doors, though I could not get in.