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We mobilized the largest gathering of Jews in America’s history on the National Mall to support Israel, stand against antisemitism, and call for the release of the hostages. Our communities organized to oppose antisemitic resolutions in city councils and labor unions, to push back against those who use “Zionist” as an antisemitic code word to exclude Jews on college campuses, and to ensure our K-12 schools remain safe learning environments for our children.
We organized and supported hundreds of commemoration events across North America, which will bring hundreds of thousands of people together to support and uplift one another. And next month, we will gather again in Washington, DC, to bring our community together in a unity event called Stand Together.
There is still hope
Amid all the challenges, we have found reasons for optimism. There has been a surge in involvement and engagement in every sector of Jewish life—synagogues, JCCs, day schools, camps, and on and on. Perhaps the greatest period of Jewish life in America is still to come if we stay true to our values, focus on embracing this surge, and refuse to allow our detractors to set our communal agenda.
Half a century ago, in a speech to the Young Leadership Cabinet at the UJA National Conference in New York in December of 1974, the great Jewish thinker Leonard ”Leibel” Fein reflected on the one-year anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, which was also a shocking and existential threat to Israel. He took as his theme the Hebrew phrase Lamrot Hakol (“in spite of everything”).
Fein admitted to being bone-weary of the endless crisis, of the constant state of emergency, and of the seemingly never-ending challenges. And yet, Fein noted, “in spite of all, we persist,” which he called “a pledge of a proud and self-respecting people that will not let the world beat us down, not now, not ever.”
The losses have been unimaginable, but our response proves that our strength and resilience are much stronger than the forces that seek to harm and destroy us.
A yahrzeit is an opportunity to take stock of how we have persevered through our grief and how we have found new strength and inspiration to carry on. Even as we remember the profound depth of loss on October 7, we must also take comfort in our strong response to this crisis.
It is through this strength that we will enter the Jewish new year with the same conviction that will enable us to continue to build flourishing Jewish life in America that contributes to the safe and thriving society we are all proud to be part of.
The writer is the Executive Vice President of The Jewish Federations of North America.
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Publish date : 2024-10-06 01:50:00
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