Sigal Kanotopsky. Courtesy of Dylan Thomas
Sigal Kanotopsky
If there was ever one moment that demonstrated to me the essence of the Jewish community in Philadelphia and across the United States, it was when my husband, an educator at the Perelman Jewish Day School in the Philadelphia suburbs, was summoned to the Israel Defense Forces reserves for three months during the current war.
The school arranged to send my family meals for a month and a half, while many other community members volunteered to help us in other ways. The community’s generosity was not lost on my two sons who live with me in Philadelphia. They experienced firsthand that the spirit of volunteerism is what defines the Jewish community’s character in times of crisis.
At the same time, I have two other children who live in Israel — my oldest daughter, who served in the army during the Swords of Iron War and has since been released, and my second son, who enlisted in the military during the war and is still serving in a combat unit. This has meant that each day since Oct. 7, it has been mentally and emotionally taxing to go to work and act as if everything is normal.
And yet, I derive strength from the tremendous solidarity and care displayed by Jews in Philadelphia and across the continent. Although they are thousands of miles away from Israel and Gaza, they step in and work on the front line in their own unique way. They are always here to give a hug and affirm for the Israeli people that “we are with you, and you are not alone.” They embody the value of “arvut hadadit” — the Jewish people’s responsibility to one another.
It is no surprise to see North American Jewry’s response to the Swords of Iron War, given that during my past three years living in Philadelphia and serving as Regional Director to the Northeast U.S. at The Jewish Agency for Israel, this is the third major global emergency that the Jewish people have confronted. Between the COVID pandemic, the war in Ukraine and now the Israel-Hamas war, my first three years living outside of Israel have been hectic to say the least. But most importantly, they have been eye-opening. Today, as I prepare to soon leave my position with The Jewish Agency and return to Israel, I look back on my time in North America with immense gratitude and pride.
Before I spent a significant amount of time in America, I knew that antisemitism exists abroad and wondered why Jews living outside of Israel did not respond by making Aliyah. Then I experienced how difficult it is to move a family halfway across the world, and to adjust to a new reality and culture.
In fact, I have hardly been alone in enduring this challenge. I oversee the work of 120 of The Jewish Agency’s Shlichim (Israeli emissaries) who foster connections to Israel in Jewish communities in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. Around the world, a total of 2,300 Shlichim serve throughout the year in 65 different countries.
It is my job to ensure that the Shlichim in the Northeast U.S. have everything they need to fulfill their mission, but also to maintain their personal well-being while they’re living far away from home. In turn, the Shlichim inspire me. When I witnessed their deep commitment to their work after Oct. 7, I knew that I must continue to weather the storm of today’s challenges and stay strong in advancing my own mission.
Far too many of our Shlichim have friends or family members who have been killed, injured, kidnapped, or displaced since Oct. 7. It would be natural for them to return home to Israel amid this urgent situation facing their loved ones, and The Jewish Agency gave them that choice if they needed it. Nevertheless, virtually 100% of our Shlichim have remained in their North American communities during the war if they have had the option to do so. Only those Shlichim who have been called to the reserves have returned. As emissaries, they understand that their role is no less important than serving on the front line in Israel. By hosting educational events, sharing their personal stories and helping North American Jews gain access to an authentic Israeli perspective, they play a major part in strengthening Jewish identity and attachment to Israel. They prove that the power of the Jewish collective is alive and well. Their perseverance empowers me to keep holding my head high during every day that this war continues.
Long before Oct. 7, the North American Jewish community had already done more than enough to show me the power of the collective. During the past three years, I have traveled to various communities in North America to share my personal story, the story of Ethiopian Israelis and the work of The Jewish Agency. In the process of making these presentations, I have met thousands of people and have learned a great deal about their lives and communities.
In turn, North American Jews have demonstrated a keen interest in my own story. One example is the Ethiopian Jewish community’s holiday of Sigd. Given my Ethiopian Jewish roots, I worked to educate North American Jews about the holiday, which has been observed for centuries by Ethiopian Jews and in more recent decades by the sizable population of Ethiopian immigrants living in Israel. Through this activity, The Jewish Agency has raised crucial awareness surrounding Ethiopian Jewish culture and the diversity of the global Jewish people, while promoting Jewish unity by focusing on the traditions that bring us together.
When I return to Israel, I will never forget North American Jewry’s powerful demonstration of communal responsibility and the power of the collective. ■
Sigal Kanotopsky lives in Philadelphia and is the regional director to the Northeast U.S. at The Jewish Agency for Israel.
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Publish date : 2024-08-08 03:53:00
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