When I left Jerusalem for the present new temporary location at the end of September 2023, I planned (and wanted!) to remain in touch with about 55 people I used to see there with different degrees of frequency. After sending my monthly updates to all of them for the first six months I stopped chasing after about 20 of them who never respondend to me. After continuing to send them to the remaining 35 people I stopped chasing after about 30 of them who never initiated writing to me.
On the one hand, it's so sad to see so many people are "disappearing" so soon, but on the other hand, I'm glad to be shown in action who really care about our relationship. I believe even more strongly now that true relationships must be mutual. If someone doesn't show his interest not through speech but through action, I see no reason to continue investing in such a unilateral relationship except for at least one special context.
One such special context is when you owe someone gratitude for helping you. There is one old friend. We met about 35 years ago when we studied at the Hebrew University and immediately became friends. Since I returned to Jerusalem in August 2004, our contact was resumed. A few years later he helped me enormously when I fell on the floor while dancing at someone else's wedding and had my ankle sprained. I used to invite him to a Sabbath meal every month for 19 years until I left Jerusalem about one and a half year ago.
Both while I still lived in Jerusalem and since I left it, I continued writing to him at least every two weeks. Though I told him several times that true friendship must be mutual, he never initiated writing to me all these years except when he needed my help, but he at least replied to most of my messages. About one month ago I sent him what I considered something very emotional, but unfortunately, I didn't hear from him.
This time I've decided to remain silent and see after how much time he'll initiate writing to me, probably for the first time, with no agenda, if at all. I'm still hoping he'll do so. But if he doesn't, I may not initiate writing to him any longer. I don't do this as a kind of revenge but in order not to continue forcing anything upon him against his will.
He might say that he wanted and meant to write to me. But I don't believe in speech unless it's accompanied by action. The same is the case with everyone else.