Stronger Together

September 9, 2024

by: Janet Aslin, Staff Writer

In 2023, the core Jewish population—or the number of people identifying as Jews above all else—was approximately 15.7 million worldwide. That’s a pretty tiny number when you consider there are about 8.2 billion people alive today. Since October 7, 2023, that miniscule Jewish population has garnered a disproportionate share of the world’s hatred. It would be safe to say that the intensity with which Jews have been called to defend the actions of the State of Israel during the past year has been unprecedented.

Israel has long struggled with public perception. Is she a democracy or an apartheid state? What about the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)? Is it the world’s most moral army determined to defend its citizens or an aggressive occupying force? With much of the world hurling baseless accusations at them, Israelis—as well as Jews who live in the Diaspora (outside of Israel)—have been reaching out to one another. One of the many ways they have been encouraging their community is through grassroots initiatives.

Inter-connectedness

I have been an interested observer of the Jewish community since my first trip to Israel in 2002. I was raised in Alaska, where there is a Western attitude of rugged independence and self-sufficiency and an almost non-existent Jewish population. So, that first trip to Israel was eye-opening on many levels. At first, the Jewish inter-connectedness baffled me with its primary focus on the community as a whole, rather than the individual. Yet, I have come to see the inter-connectedness of the Jewish people is an integral part of who they are. It therefore stands to reason that when one part of the community was injured, as in the horrific events of October 7, no matter where in the world they were, the rest of the community suffered as well. I’d like to look at just a few of the community-building responses borne out of the tragedy of October 7.

Building Community

The internet has enabled community-building on a scale that could not have been imagined even a mere 30 or 40 years ago. While we may, at times, grumble about our loss of privacy, social media does have many positive benefits. Here are just two internet initiatives that were birthed in those painful days one year ago.

“Heroes Live On” is an internet learning site developed by the Israeli non-profit organization Hilma–Tech for Impact. Its purpose is to help connect Jewish students around the world to the events of October 7 in a positive way. Working with the Jewish Federations of Canada UAI, the platform contains profiles of soldiers and civilians who died on that day. Students read life stories and learn about the character traits of the fallen, such as courage, leadership, giving and friendship. As they do, the legacy of that person lives on. Furthermore, students are encouraged to choose a fallen hero, pick one of their character traits and show how they can emulate it in their own lives.

While Hilma is busy connecting young Jewish students with Israel, “Our Mishpacha” (Our Family) is working to connect Israeli families with those in the Diaspora. Founder Abi Bitton was a successful real estate developer in New York City when his life took a dramatic turn. He was engaged to be married and had mapped out their life as a couple in the Big Apple when he happened to be visiting Israel last October and the Jewish world was turned upside down. In an interview with JNS, he relayed what he had said to his fiancée, “We can’t leave Israel. This is a defining moment for our nation, and we need to do something about it.”

Bitton’s idea was to create an online platform where Jewish families from around the world are matched with Israeli families in order to build relationships. Since its beginning, Israeli applicants have outnumbered those from the Diaspora by a factor of five to one. This shows tangible evidence that Jewish families living in Israel need to know they are not alone. Bitton’s goal for “Our Mishpacha” is to enable Jewish people the world over “to become better, stronger and more united than ever before.”

First-hand Knowledge

Over the past year, Jewish college students in North America and Europe have found themselves on the frontlines of an ugly, often violent battle that portrays Israel as an occupier and worse. Perhaps more than any other segment of the Jewish community, they need the strengthening of relationship with the Land of Israel itself.

For the past 25 years, Taglit Birthright Israel has brought young Jewish men and women between the ages of 18 and 26 for a free and educational 10-day tour of the Land. The program’s aim is to cement their bond with the State of Israel. Over 800,000 young adults have taken part in the program and are equipped to speak with first-hand knowledge about this nation and the challenges it faces. The tours did not stop when war broke out. Since January 2024, over 15,000 young adults have visited Israel on a Birthright tour.

The tours have been coming with a new emphasis on the Jewish identity and inter-connectedness of the participants. In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Birthright’s International CEO, Gidi Mark, said: “In light of recent events…we must come together to ensure that we are providing the support, knowledge and perspectives that our participants need, now more than ever, to continue to thrive and develop their Jewish identity.”

True Friendship

Millennia ago, King Solomon said this, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Prov. 17:17). I want to be more than simply an observer of the wonderful resilience and inter-connectedness of the Jewish community. I want to be one who stands with them in these difficult times of adversity. Then we can truly be stronger together.

Photo Credit: Click on photo to see credit