Am Yisrael Chai – we need to live not die

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

There isn’t a lot in this world that really shocks me. Maybe it is because I have low expectations of our leaders and of the people in the world. Maybe it is because I expect people to say dumb, uneducated, and ill-informed things. Perhaps it is because I have seen people feed off of hatred and believe anything that fuels their hate. It may even because I have come to believe that most people are dumb. Our education system is broken. They aren’t taught, they don’t learn the basics, and everything is based on headlines, clickbait, and opinions rather than facts.

Since October 7th, I have found myself being consistently shocked by one thing. The number of Jews who put their own self-interests and needs low on their priority list. Maslow’s heirarchy of needs clearly shows how the basics, food, water, shelter, etc. are the base. That is what we need most of all. Second is safety and security. I watch so many Jews place their own safety and security much lower on the list, concerned much more with the things in self-esteem and self-actualization. They are important but not at the risk of one’s own safety.

This has been bothering me a great deal lately. So much so that I had trouble sleeping last night. I dreamt that I was talking to the Jews who were killed in the Holocaust, murdered by Hitler and the Nazis. They were yelling at me about things such as equal rights, women’s rights, freedom of worship, access to health care, marriage equality, etc., telling me that I would have no need for that after they murdered me. These were all things that mattered to people who were alive, not to people who were dead. It shook me and I awoke at 3:30 am, unable to fall back to sleep.

Murdered Jews by the Nazis. Without safety and security we have nothing.

They are right. All the things we put value on in our society only matter to the living. Once we are dead, clean air doesn’t matter to us because we are no longer breathing air. We don’t need drinkable water, because we aren’t drinking fluids. It doesn’t matter who we have the right to marry because we are not getting married, we are dead. The only one with rights to our bodies are the undertakers who are preparing us for burial or cremation. These are truly first world problems and challenges and I am grateful that we have them to fight for. They are important and matter – when we are alive!

Some may say, “What about your children and grandchildren? Doesn’t it matter to them?” Here is the unfortunate news. They are not coming to kill just me. They are going to kill my children and grandchildren too. My brother and sister. My nieces and nephews. None of us are exempt. So once again, when they are alive, it matters a great deal. But when we are all dead, killed because we are Jews, it doesn’t matter at all.

Many people think I am overreacting. They think I am fear mongering. Perhaps. I hope so. The Jews of the 1930s thought so until it was too late. The rise of Jew hatred has been visible for a long time and I have been told I was overreacting for more than a decade. I wish they were right. The monthly drawing of swastikas on buildings in Seattle have grown to daily instances of violence against Jews around the world. Just yesterday, on Shabbat outside a Chabad in NY city, a Jewish man was stabbed by somebody yelling “Free Palestine”. His crime was being Jewish. I remember my African-American friends talking about the problem of “Driving while black” or “Shopping while black”. I empathized and thought I understood. I realize now that I didn’t.

This is an election year which makes things even more sensitive. People support one candidate or party over the other and demonize the one they don’t support. I’m not asking for anybody to comment on this blog about which candidate/party they support, why, or why the other one is evil. What I find shocking in this election cycle is how the survival of the Jewish people isn’t the number one concern for every Jew. In a world that is filled with Jew hatred, where violence against Jews is increasing daily, where the calls for violence against Jews is increasing daily, the fact that our safety and security isn’t the top priority stuns me.

I wonder if the changes in Jewish life over the past 50 years of so is the reason why. My grandparents knew that being Jewish meant a risk to their safety and security. They lived through the Holocaust, albeit in the United States. My Uncle Ralph, who lived through Kristallnacht while hiding upstairs with his grandmother, was 9 years old when his family left Munich to escape the Nazis. After escaping, he and his family had to deal with the Japanese, an ally of Germany, taking over in the Philipines. He understands the risk of our safety and security,

My Uncle Ralph speaking via Zoom to the Orlando community on International Holocaust Memorial Day

Today’s generation does not. They believe they are American’s first. They believe that America will always protect them. While I hope this is true, the Jews of Germany felt the same way until it was too late. I watch as Jewish college students align themselves with Students for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace, Code Pink, and other groups that hate Jews, are funded by Jew haters, and are aimed at eliminating Jews. I shake my head. When I see Jewish LGBTQ+ students holding signs that say “Queers for Palestine” I wonder how much they really know about Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Palestinian Authority. If they understand how they would be treated by those governments.

It reminds me of a story my friend David Abramowitz tells about his father, Rabbi Mayer Abramowitz z”l. Rabbi Abramowitz was the founding Rabbi of Temple Menorah in Miami, a very successful synagogoue. In 1989, at 75 years of age, with a lifetime contract at the syngagogue, he shocked everybody by telling them that he had failed. The youth were not educated and were not staying Jewishly connected. He left his lifetime contract to create a radical program with a radical idea. The Jewish Leadership Institute (JLI) would take students to Israel at a highly subsidized price to teach them leadership and infuse them with a Jewish connection, Jewish knowledge, Jewish values, and how Judaism is relevent in their daily lives. This was a decade before Birthright. Fifteen years before MASA. 31 years before RootOne. I have seen the impact of this program since 1998. It’s more than what Birthright and MASA do because the mission is different. I was on the trip in July and saw the impact during the trip, not just after the trip.

See the impact it made me wonder how much of what we see with Jews not prioritizing our safety first and being stuck on Tikkun Olam, thinking that repairing the world is the greatest thing we can do, even at our own expense, is because of a lack of real knowledge. Over the past few years I have been investing some of my time in learning more Jewishly. High quality and interesting learning. Content based learning. Things I can apply in my daily life type of learning. I think this impacts the way I think, the things I value, and certainly my actions.

One example is the first prayer we say in morning services. I’m not a service goer and would never have known anything about this without being taught. We thank God for the rooster knowing the difference between day and night. It’s a prayer of gratitude. It’s a prayer to remind us to pay attention to the beauty of nature and all that is around us. In a world filled with so much darkness, I now start my day by saying thank you to God and being grateful for all that I have in my life and that is around me. It’s a simple thing to do and I do it in english. It’s my own prayer and awareness. It also helps me stay out of the negativity that is so pervasive in today’s world.

It’s been over 10 months since October 7th and we still have hostages being held in Gaza. The Red Cross has yet to visit them. They are never mentioned by the UN or UNRWA. We cannot forget them. We know the importance of human life in Judaism, Pikuach nefesh. We know that the mishnah tells us that whoever saves a life saves an entire world. In Israel in July, we learned and sung the Acheinu prayer at least once a day. It’s not an ancient prayer and is only 35 years old. It was easy to learn and easy to sing. Every day, I continue to sing the Acheinu prayer to make sure I never forget the hostages. Judaism gives us these reminders all the time about how to behave. This prayer is just one example.

I have also learned that when we praise God for all the amazing things he does for us, it is a reminder that we are made in the image of God and that we are supposed to strive to be that way as well. We are not expected to do things that will harm us however. The exceptions abound where our health, our lives, take precedent over everything else. The Talmud tells us very clearly that, “You shall live by them, but not die by them” and is based on Leviticus 18:5. When I see people doing things that harm the Jewish people or the State of Israel because of their belief in Tikkun Olam or Jewish values, it frustrates me because they harm themselves and the Jewish people with a faulty understanding. It’s always fair to criticize a government and a leader for their decisions, policies, and actions. When they are undermining the Jewish people, the State of Israel, it is not ok. That’s what they do. I have former students of mine who claim they love Israel as they work to rip the country apart. I wonder, “Where did I go wrong?” How was I unable to teach them where the lines are between criticism of governments and criticisms of the Jewish people?

My dream from last night of the victims of the Holocaust scolding me will haunt me for a long time. They are a reminder that life comes first. Without our lives, everything else doesn’t matter. Make no mistake, Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Palestinian Authority want us all dead. From the River to the Sea means no Jews – we are all pushed into the sea. They openly say it. They don’t hide their intentions. When they say they are going to kill us, we need to believe them.

We continue to make the same mistakes. It is our history. We try to fit in and think they will leave us alone. We work to be a part of their country and think they will appreciate us as part of their country. We think if we only give them what they want, they will leave us alone. What we forget is that what they want is for there to be no Jews. What they want is to kill us all. This is thousands of years old and we are once again making the same mistake again. As my father would say to me, “If we don’t take care of the Jews, nobody else will.” My friend Fleur Hassan-Nahoum says it so well when she says, “The problem isn’t that there is no Palestinian State. The problem is that there is a Jewish State.“

I hope that I am wrong. Over a decade ago, with the rise of Jew hatred, I openly said that I hoped that I was wrong. This isn’t something I want to be right about. Yet I was right about the rise of Jew hatred. I was right about the far left and their hatred of Jews when everybody said it was just the far right. I don’t want to be right here, but I fear that I am. We need to stop helping them kill us. We need to stop thinking that they will like us, want us, and leave us alone if we just go along. History shows that never happens.

Invest in learning about Jewish values so you can apply them appropriately. Invest in Jewish practice that you find meaningful, whatever that may be. Visit Israel to see the reality, not what the Jew hating media tells you. Be proud to be Jewish and don’t hide. Don’t think it will just pass you by. The thought that keeps playing in my head is what far too many friends in Israel have said to me. “I hope you can move here before it is too late and they won’t let you leave.“

What are you waiting for? Am Yisrael Chai.

It’s the Iranian Regime, stupid.

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

Today Ariel Bibas is 5 years old. He should be waking up early, filled with excitement. His brother Kfir, who turned 1 on January 18 is awake with him and they should be waking up their parents with giggles, laughter and screams of joy. Instead, the entire Bibas family remains hostages, nearly 10 months after being kidnapped by Hamas. Kfir celebrated his birthday in captivity and now, unfortunately, so does Ariel. I slept poorly last night, thinking about these beautiful children and this beautiful family and what they are enduring.

Ariel Bibas is not getting his wish today

As the world waits with anticipation for a possible/probably attack by Iran on Israel, the possible start of World War III, I find myself thinking deeply about how we got here. Hindsight is always 20/20 although in this case, so much of how we got here was predictible at the time of the decisions being made.

The Iranian regime is evil. It has oppressed the Iranian people since the 1979 revolution. They took and held American hostages for 444 days. I remember following the news at that time hoping for some resolution every day. I remember hoping that the hostages would still be alive and would be released. I remember staying home from school on the day Ronald Reagan was inaugurated because that was the day they were released. I remember tracking their progress as they left Iran through TV news (there was no internet to get real time reporting) and being so excited when they finally were free.

The Iranian regime has only gotten more powerful, more evil, and become a bigger global threat since then. When the JCPOA was approved, it gave Iran the ability to grow financially and fund more terror, all while breaking the agreement from day one. The flawed belief at that time was that the Iranian regime was like us. That they would keep their word. That they cared about their people and the future of the country. They proved us wrong.

Yet the Biden administration doubled down on this false belief in removing sanctions from Iran. Giving them access to billions of dollars allowed them to increase their funding of terror. Despite the constant promise that there will never be a nuclear Iran, Secretary of State Tony Blinken recently stated that Iran is only 1-2 weeks away from nuclear breakout to having nuclear bombs. While he blames us leaving the JCPOA for this situation, Iran was already violating the agreement without consequence.

When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 and took hostages, there was immediate equivocation. Immediate excuses. Immediate denials of what happened. Hamas, like Iran, was treated as an entity that valued human life, that would want peace, and that would negotiate in good faith. Despite all proof to the contrary, that is how the United States and Europe treated them. The demands continued to be on Israel to do something rather than on Hamas to release the hostages. As a result, 303 days later, we still have hostages in Gaza. 304 days later, children like Arial and Kfir Bibas remain hostages. Kfir has now spent most of his life as a hostage in Gaza yet there is no outrage about this. No demand that these children, these babies, be returned.

Arial and Kfir Bibas. Both have now celebrated birthdays as hostages in captivity

The demand was that Israel minimize civilian casualties while Hamas worked to maximize civlian casualties. There was never a demand that Hamas change their ways, only that Israel does. The facts that the worldwide accepted civilian to combatant ratio is 9 civilians killed for every combatant and that Israel was below 1.5 civilian casualties for every combatant didn’t matter. The fact that Hamas uses schools, hospitals, medical clinics, and mosques as military bases didn’t matter. The fact that Hamas built terror tunnels longer than the NY subway didn’t matter. The US and the western world only held Israel accountable, allowing the terrorists to do more damage.

When the death toll of women and children is reduced by the UN by half, the world remains silent, hoping nobody will notice. When Israel is told there is no way they safely evacuate the people in Rafa and they do it anyway, the world doesn’t take notice. The emboldening of Iran and the terrorists grows.

When Hezbollah fires thousands of rockets into the north of Israel, when more than 60,000 Israelis have been evacuated from the north and have been living in hotels for nearly 10 months, the world is silent. I met some of these families in Jerusalem. They were from a religious community in the north. This means they are families of 7+ people, living in a single hotel room for almost 10 months.

Israel was required to provide food, water, medicine, power, internet and more to their enemy who was trying to kill them. Yet when UNRWA and Hamas steal the food, don’t deliver the food, and sell the food on the black market, the blame is put on Israel. When there is proof that more than enough food is getting in to Gaza yet the food crisis remains, the world is silent.

We don’t have to be silent. I choose not to and I encourage you to be a loud voice as well. In July, while in Israel, I began singing the Achinu prayer daily. I have continued to sing it every day. It’s not long and it both centers me, fills me with gratitude, and reminds me of the hostages who remain in captivity. I also long for the day when I no longer need to sing it every morning.

Acheynu is a powerful prayer that I now sing daily.
Singing Acheynu underneath the Kotel on original 2000+ year old floors

We don’t have to be silent about what is happening. We don’t have to accept what others say. The protests in the streets of Philadelphia, Seattle, Brooklyn, Manhatten, Middlesbrough UK, Montreal, London, Washington DC, and many other locations are turning violent. Chants of ‘Intifada Revolution’ are occuring in the US, Canada, and Europe. We can choose to accept this as the new normal, as many in Germany did with Kristalnacht, or we can fight back. We can hope it will go away and hide until is does or we can learn from history that it never goes away and that staying silent always ends poorly for us and choose to speak up and speak out.

As Jews we are taught to want the world to be better. We are taught that it is our responsibility to make the world better. We want a better world not just for our children and grandchildren but also for everybody who lives in the world. This often blows up in our faces as we do things to harm ourselves. We make assumptions about others that are false. In the recent debate on Is the Two State Solution Viable, my friend Fleur Hassan-Nahoum made two powerful statements about the desire for a two-state solution and an end to the conflict.

“The problem isn’t that there isn’t a Palestinian State. The problem is that there is a Jewish State.”

“It is not their dream. It is our dream”

I told Fleur I wasn’t sure which was more powerful to me. We often want things so much that we pretend the other side wants it as well. I remember talking with my friend Mahmoud in East Jerusalem in May. He talked mostly about a 1 state solution which would mean the cost of peace is that Israel isn’t a Jewish state any longer. I have thought long and hard about our conversation and hope to spend more time with him in September as I have so many new questions for him.

Watch the debate here – there is powerful information and the hour goes by fast.

I am tired of our leaders lying about what’s going on. I’m tired of our leaders not standing by our allies. I’m tired of having leaders without morals and ethics, people who don’t follow what they say or agreements that they sign. I’m tired of the encouragement of hatred from the left and the right that divide our country and our world.

Our literature is filled with those who do whatever is necessary to defeat evil. Harry Potter uses the unforgivable curse, Avada Kadavra, to finally rid the world of the true evil of Lord Voldemort. In Lord of the Rings, the evil Sauron is finally destroyed. In Star Wars, the evil Emperor Palpatine had to be killed by Darth Vader. In real life, we see what happened when the evil of Adolph Hitler (11 million murdered in the Holocast), Joseph Stalin (6 million people murdered), and even today with Bashar Assad murdering over 500,000 people and still counting are allowed to do what they want without consequence. Iran is the evil we face today. Iran is the largest state sponsor of terror. Iran is responsible for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Iran funds hate. Should Iran actually get a nuclear bomb, they can be expected to use it. Yet we continue to appease them. We continue to think we can negotiate with them. We continue to think they share our values. We will continue to do this until they use a nuclear weapon in Europe or the United States. It’s time to fight the real evil and defeat it. It’s time to lead through action and do what is needed, even when it’s hard.

I’m tired of the hostages being in captivity and forgotten by our leaders. I’m tired of the mobs in the streets calling for intifada, revolution, also known as the elimination of the Jews. I’m tired of the rockets being fired at Israel and the people in the north having to be refugees. I’m tired of my friends being recalled to the IDF and put into harms way over and over again. My heart aches for those murdered on October 7th at the Nova Music Festival, Kfar Aza, Kibbutz Be’eri, and everywhere else.

I’m tired of our leaders not leading and I’m tired of them not clearly seeing that the evil and the problem is Iran. To paraphrase James Carville during the 1992 Clinton campaign for President, “It’s Iran, Stupid”. If our leaders wise up and get on track, they’ll realize that Iran is the cause of the world instability. The Iranian regime is core evil and needs to be eliminated. At all costs. During the hostage crisis in 1979-80, I remember a poster my cousin had in his room. It expressed our feelings then and expresses my feelings now.

Having been to Israel in May and July, having talked to my Israeli friends non-stop since October 7th, I know they are exhausted. Not just by what I am exhausted with but also with the nonstop bombs they face, the constant call ups to reserves, the funerals that seem to never end, the protests against the government, for the hostages, and to end the war. There is no end in sight. Yesterday all I wanted to do was to be back in Israel, with my Israeli brothers and sisters, knowing the war with Iran is coming yet knowing we were all together. As a passionate Zionist, a Jew who loves Israel and one who has Israel a permanent part of my soul, it’s hard not to be there at this time of need.

I write a lot about leadership and the lack of it. I write a lot about Israel and how important it is. I write a lot about my fears for the world. So, in summary, to all our leaders, I say once again, “It’s Iran, Stupid”. Bring them home now.

Two true leaders show up

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

I’ve been very critical of our leaders for good reason. So I thought perhaps I should spend a few minutes talking about leaders who have truly inspired me. To show that there are leaders out there. There are people who are doing what is right not what is easy. People who are focused on making the world a better place, not just on making the world a better place for them. They may surprise you but they are truly amazing. Leaders are not elected although sometimes leaders get elected. Leadership is not a position but an action. These two people lead by example. They inspire. I can only hope (but doubt) that our elected officials will pay attention to them and what they are doing and choose to follow their example.

The first person I want to talk about is Flavor Flav (born William Jonathan Drayton Jr.). Yes, Flavor Flav, the rapper. This is the guy who dropped out of high school in the 11th grade, who as a kid was in and out of jail for robbery and burglary. The guy has had multiple issues with the law and with substance abuse. The man who was a founding member of the controversial rap group Public Enemy.

The flamboyant Flavor Flav

Why did I pick Flavor Flav? What makes him a leader? How has he inspired me and shown what a leadership really is? He signed a five-year sponsorship deal as the official hype man for the USA Water Polo Women’s and Men’s National Teams. Unlike most sponsorship deals, this doesn’t mean he gets paid for doing it. It means he will be paying and getting to do it. He chose to financially support the women’s US water polo teams so they are able to practice and attempt to win gold medals. He chose to support women’s athletics with his own money because they needed it, because he is a ‘girl dad’, this is a niche sport, and they have great athletes and need the help. He didn’t pick the most popular teams like men’s or women’s basketball or women’s gymnastics. He picked a niche sport that really needed his support. You see him on TV rooting them on at the olympics. This isn’t about his name or his personal fame or gain. This is about leading by example, using his wealth for good, and making a difference in the world.

Listen to the interview where Flavor Flav explains what inspired him to step up in this role

This would enough to rank as a leader. But it isn’t enough for Flavor Flav. Just the other day, Olympic women’s discus athlete Veronica Fraley tweeted out that as she was about to begin competing in the Olympics, she couldn’t pay her rent. Her school only sent enough money for 75% of the rent and so as she was about to compete for her country, paying rent was a problem. Flavor Flav quickly responded, telling her he would take care of it immediately for her so she could compete the next day without worry.

Alexis Ohanian, Serena William’s husband and the founder of Reddit, joined Flavor Flav. While Flav covered the rent for the upcoming month, Ohanian paid the rent for the rest of the year. True leadership inspires others to join you. Flavor Flav has done that and is doing that. He stated his goal is for others to join him in supporting these athletes who only want to bring honor to America. We are now all rooting for Veronica Fraley and the US water polo teams to win, not just as American athletes but as human beings. We can all be inspired by Flavor Flav to do a little more. To make a difference in ways that we can. To do the right thing for the right reasons no matter what our past may be. We can all be an inspiration to others. Our actions can change lives and the lives we change can change the world.

The second leader who inspires me is Simone Biles. Yes, that Simone Biles, the Olympian and perhaps the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) gymnast. While her talent is truly amazing and watching her perform is spectacular, it’s not her athletic talent that inspires me. There are plenty of talented people who are amazing at what they do. That’s not leadership.

Leadership is what she did in 2021 at the Olympics. Not winning medals or competitions but winning at life. As she began strugging with mental health issues, feeling ‘the twisties’ and shaking due to the pressure she was feeling, Simone made the difficult choice to prioritize her mental health over winning at the Olympics. She took a lot of heat for that decision. When the women won the Silver medal instead of the Gold, she was criticized and she even said she felt responsible. She didn’t feel a part of the team and that she didn’t deserve the silver medal. Her teammates disagreed. She withdrew from all the remaining events so she could focus on her mental health.

It was a big risk for an athlete like Simone Biles to admit to having mental health struggles. She had enough courage to take care of herself and to publicly address it. She led and since then others have followed. Prioritizing mental health is now accepted by athletes and fans. It is because of Simone Biles and her courage. As I watch her compete in these Olympics, there is joy in her eyes. She is dominating the Olympics but more importantly, you can see she is dominating at life.

I saw a video of her throwing out the first pitch at an Astros games. The joy you see in her face, in her actions, warms my heart. Watch and be astounded, both with her incredible talent and the joy that exudes from her.

If that is all Simone Biles did, it would be enough to shine as a leader. But it’s not. When Larry Nassar was accused of molesting gymnasts, Simone was the 3rd person to announce publicly that he had abused her. She then took action, fighting back against the system that enabled the abuse. She advocated for change. She testified in front of Congress.

She held people accountable. Joined by fellow gymnasts McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols, they described in detail what happened and how the system, including the legal system, failed not just them but the hundreds of female athletes that Nassar abused. She became the face of change in women’s gymnastics. How the system works. How the coaches treat the athletes. It is noticable to see the change. The joy in the gymnasts faces as they compete instead of the fear of failure. The way they hug and support each other. How the gymnasts used to be young and by 18 were seen as too old to competitors now being in their early and late 20s.

Simone isn’t done though. After winning a gold medal in these Olympics, her husband posted a picture of them together and kissing where he was wearing her gold medal. He posted:

He got terrible criticism because he was wearing the medal she won. This Tiktok video was enough for Simone to actively respond.

@kierabreaugh

♬ original sound – Kiera Breaugh

She wrote a comment saying:

“Crazy thing is, I put my medal on every single one of my family members and took pictures. So don’t ever make assumptions.” She continued, “Like y’all are so f–ing miserable. Leave us alone.”

She wasn’t afraid to step up and say what she felt. She wasn’t afraid to take a public position even when it was criticizing her fans. She stood up for what was right and didn’t care about what blowback she might face. That’s leadership. She could have stayed quiet. She could have ignored it. She could have even publicly said that it was just a meaningless distraction. But she didn’t. She couldn’t ignore the hate he was getting. She couldn’t sit by idly and allow something wrong to continue. That’s leadership.

Being a leader isn’t easy. Both Flavor Flav and Simone Biles have been through tough times and chose to change the world. They chose to take risks, give of themselves, and take positions, often alone, because they believed in them. That’s what leaders do.

At this critical time in our world, I urge the leaders of America, of Canada, of the countries in Europe and around the world, in our Jewish communities and outside our Jewish communities, to look to these two amazing human beings for what leadership looks like. Take the unpopular position because it’s the right position. Stand up against evil and what’s wrong, speak up because it is the right thing to do, like Simone Biles, and make change, regardless of the potential personal cost. Don’t just support the popular but support what is needed, what is good, what matters, like Flavor Flav.

We desparately need our elected officials around the world, in the United States, and in our Jewish organizations and communities to follow their lead. I hope they can learn from true leaders what it means and change their behavior. The future of the world and the Jewish people depend on it.

Where our our leaders? They are missing in action.

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

I write a lot about leadership. I write a lot about Israel. I try to focus on indentifying challenges and problems and finding solutions. Complaining about challenges or problems doesn’t do anything good and if you can’t identify the challenge you have no way to identify a solution.

Today I find myself focused on how unbelievably bad our current world leadership is and concerned about the future not just for Jews but for our world. The leadership seems to simply not understand the basic difference between good and evil. Between right and wrong. Between leadership and a title. Between morals, ethics, and values and power.

In the past few days here are a few things we have seen that are of major concern to me.

Hezbollah shoots a rocket at Israeli Druze children playing soccer. 12 are murdered and hundreds injured. Our leaders are silent. The world is silent. The UN, UNICEF, Red Cross, and Amnesty International are silent. 12 beautiful children are dead with hundreds of more children injured by terrorists attacking civilians and the world remains silent.

The 12 Druze Israeli children who were murdered by Hezbollah/Iran

Major terrorist leaders are assassinated. They are taken out in strategic attacks which don’t target civilians. The world is a better place without them in it and the message that is sent to those who follow them is that actions have consequences. That murdering civilians and taking hostages won’t be tolerated.

What was the response to this? The Biden administration warned Bibi not to escalate again and that if they do, the US may not have Israel’s back. The administration continues to not send the military aid to Israel that the US Congress has authorized. The UK leadership vows to stop providing any weapons to Israel. Turkey’s President Erdogan has threatened to invade Israel. Turkey, a NATO ally, has faced no pushback from NATO about this. President Biden said that ‘it wasn’t helpful’ to reaching a ceasefire despite all evidence showing that Hamas only responds to strength. Vice President Harris, running for President, has yet to even comment on the murder of 12 Druze Israeli children by Hezbollah. Protests in support of the terrorist leaders who were eliminated are occuring around the world. The PA declares a national day of mourning for the terrorist leaders who murdered Americans as well as Israelis with no pushback from the world. The UN, Amnesty, UNICEF, and the Red Cross are silent about the murder of the Druze Israeli children playing soccer.

As Israel prepares to be attacked by Iran with a major offensive, the world remains silent. When Iran and Hezbollah openly state they will be attacking civilians and city centers, not military targets, the world remains silent. Where are our leaders? Where is the outrage? Where are the ceasefire now people? Where are the people concerned about children being murdered? Where are those concerned about innocent civilans dying? Because it is Jews, there is none. Because it is Jews, leaders either stay silent or take action that enables it to happen.

In the US, we are in an election year and a major election for President. Yet when the current Vice President and nominee chooses to remain silent, our Jewish communal leaders do as well. When the current President blames Israel for escalating and harming the opportunity for a cease fire that Hamas has refused to agree to, our Jewish communal leaders remain silent. When the former President who is the Republican nominee is also silent on the assassinations and the threat of attacking civilians in Israel, our Jewish communal leaders also remain silent. We need our leaders to have true relationships where they can be critical of our leaders for their actions without fear of being ostracized. I have a good relationship with my member of Congress. There are plenty of positions he has taken that I disagree with and I reach out to him and talk about it with him. I express my disagreement and am willing to publicly state that I have done so. It hasn’t harmed our relationship. Our relationship has grown because we both understand that neither of us are making personal attacks and instead are sharing important positions. I don’t have to agree with him, his positions, or his votes. He doesn’t have to agree with me or my positions. We do share why were believe what we do and why we take the positions and the actions that we do.

I have no problem criticizing what our leaders do or don’t do. It isn’t personal. It is about actions and statements. When celebrities take idiotic stands in support of terrorists and hate and the killing of Jews, I have no problem calling them out. I choose not to support their work and won’t watch their TV shows or movies, I won’t listen to their music, I won’t support anything they are involved with. I also make it public. Roger Waters, Mark Ruffalo, Bella and Gigi Hadid, Eric Clapton, Susan Sarandon, John Cusack, Cynthia Nixon, Kanye West, Billie Eilish, and Kyrie Irving are just some of those who I no longer support.

Susan Sarandon and Mark Ruffalo – two vile Jew haters

We see ‘leaders’ like Venezuela’s Nicholas Maduro, who lost the election but continues to force the false narrative that he won, blame ‘the Zionist influence in the media and social media for the coup attempt in Venezuela.’ Once again it is the Jews fault. Yet no leader will call him out on this blatent antisemitism.

Venezuelan President Maduro lost the election and blames it on Zionists

We see protesters in the streets in Washington, DC mourning the death of the evil terrorist Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, stating “We will honor all our martyrs. There is only one solution. Intifada Revolution.” The same chants were being made by a protesters in Seattle, Washington. An intifada is a violent uprising. On the streets of Washington DC they are advocating for violence against the Jews while praising a terrorist. And once again, our leaders are silent.

The protesters in Seattle may just as well be chanting “Death to the Jews”

The north of Israel is currently under attack. Rockets launched by Hezbollah at civilians. Homes and towns being attacked. This isn’t attacking military sites, it is attacking civilians. Where is the outrage? Where are the ceasefire now people? Where are our leaders? They are silent once again. Thankfully, Israel has Iron Dome, despite the antisemitic attacks by US ‘leaders’ such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) who openly weeped when funding to save Jewish/Israeli lives was passed in Congress.

Rockets attacking the norther Galilee on Saturday August 3, 2024

The terrorists openly tell us who they are. They have recorded the horrific violence on October 7th to show the world. They have vowed publicly on video that they will continue to create more violence like October 7th over and over and over again. Yet the West wants to excuse it. The West won’t accept what they say and will blame Israel and the Jews. Here is another video where they tell us point blank that they started the war for Allah and will sacrifice every life for Allah. They say it’s not about occupation. But our leaders in the West know better what it’s about than those who are doing it. Our own leaders arrogance and desire for power creates greater problems and no solutions. Listen to them and believe them.

Listen to what they say and believe them

So while the West thinks that they know better, those in the region are different. The King of Jordan has come out and stated that “We will not allow a single missile or drone to pass through our airspace towards Israel.” They understand the evil of Iran. They understand what terrorists do. They know that Israel is the canary in the coal mine and that they are next if Iran is successful. I never in my life thought I would be grateful to Jordan while being disgusted by the UK, France, and the West.

Thank you King Abdullah II of Jordan

Many people think this is only about Israel and the Jews. They forget that to Iran and the terrorist, Israel is merely ‘little Satan’. The Great Satan is the United States and it is our way of life they want to end. In Philadelphia they damaged a WWI memorial with graffiti, supporting Hamas. We see it happening all over with Death to America chants at rallies IN AMERICA. Yet our leaders remain silent. They fail to take action. They hide with the help of the media.

WWI memorial in Philadelphia vandalized

Iran is threatening to start World War 3. The rockets from Hezbollah are falling this evening. Egypt is reported to have a trove of weapons waiting to supply Hamas if Israel were to leave the Philadelphi corridor. Turkey, a US NATO ally, has threatened to invade Israel. Iran has threatened to attack Israel civilian centers. The US has sent naval battalions to the region to help. Yet where are our leaders? We don’t see them on the news. They aren’t holding press conferences. They haven’t called Turkish President Urdogan and told him to shut up and back down. They aren’t holding Egypt accountable. Our President is taking the weekend off in Delaware. Our VP and the leader of the other party are busy on the campaign trail, ignoring this. The leaders of Congress are silent. Congress can’t even be unified to take a stand.

In May when I was in Israel, my Israeli friends and many people I met there made the same comment to me. “When are you moving to Israel?” they asked. When I told them no time soon, they responded, “I hope you come while you are still able to come.” I thought they were being a little over the top. When they said the same thing in July when I was in Israel, I took it a little more seriously. I thought the day may come when I would have to move to Israel but didn’t think it was anytime soon. Today, just a month to the day when I landed in Israel in July, I wonder if it will have to be sooner than I thought. I wonder when the uprisings in the streets in the US, Canada, and Europe will become violent like in Germany on Kristalnacht. I wonder if the time will come when I no longer can get out and get to Israel when I need to. I wonder not when but IF our leaders will stand up for good vs. evil. If they will act on what is right rather than what is wrong or not act at all. Are they really leaders or just power hungry? Would they rather be right or have the world right?

These are scary times. They have gone beyond ‘interesting times’. The future is uncertain. World War 3 could begin any day. I pray every day that we don’t have a mass casualty event in the US yet expect there may be one any day. We need our leaders to understand that leadership is an action, not a position. Will they? I hope they will but fear they won’t. I am the eternal optimist yet the future doesn’t look so wonderful right now.

Carlos Santana, Red Rocks, Nova Music Festival and October 7th

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

Last night I fulfilled a bucket list item. Most people know that a bucket list is a list of things you want to experience before you ‘kick the bucket’ and leave this world. Seeing a show a Red Rocks in Colorado was on my bucket list. But not just seeing any show. I wanted to see an artist who enhanced the beautiful venue and where the venue enhanced the artist. When I saw that Carlos Santana was playing Red Rocks, I knew this was the one.

Red Rocks is outside Denver. It’s a beautiful natural theater set in a park in the mountains. As you drive in, you are captivated by the beauty all around you. Instantly, you are transformed to a magical and special place. The beauty is awe inspiring. It immediately brought me to the desert in Israel which is also captivating. The view of Masada and when on top of Masada, the view of the Dead Sea and all around you.

Red Rocks Park

We drove up the winding hills to get to the upper level parking lot and I was thinking about the drive to Tzfat and how the bus driver is always a magician with the roads and the twists and then finally parking so we can get off the bus. The old parking area where he would back up until it felt the bus was going to fall off the cliff.

We parked and began the walk to get to the venue. Once again I was transformed to Masada. Either the snake path or the Roman path has the preliminary entrance that gets you excited about what’s ahead and sometimes even a little intimidated about the climb (especially the snake path)

Making the climb up to Red Rocks Arena. What a beautiful start to the climb

We got to the area and found our seats. Wow! What a venue. As you looked around it was spectacular. There was music playing, the buzz and energy from the crowd was electric and I knew that this was going to be something special. I have many friends that have seen shows here and they all rave about the venue and how special it is. I was about to experience it and couldn’t believe it. My wife, Alison, could sense my excitement and her energy level was high as well.

The Counting Crows took the stage. I loved their music in the early 90s and had forgotten about it. As they began the play, it was still daylight and we sang and danced. You could see the people in the crowd and on the stage. It felt like a festival.

We were entranced by the acoustics, the way you could feel the music fill your soul and your body because of the venue. We danced. We sang. We were free. It was exhilerating. The sun was setting and it was changing the vibe in the venue. As we were enjoying ourselves, the people next to us leaned over and asked, “Are you from Israel?” It seemed to be a strange question in the middle of Colorado while the Counting Crows were playing, but I answered them, “No, but I just got back. Why do you ask?” They had seen my tattoos on my forearms, one saying ‘We will dance again’ and the other to remember the Nova Music festival. They were from Israel and seeing me with my tattoos, my Magen David, and my dogtags to remember the hostages and the Nova festival was very meaningful for them.

Instantly, everything transformed for me. Having been to the Nova site twice this summer, I was suddenly transformed to an American version of Nova. The people in the theater were the people at the Nova festival. The music we were enjoying and letting go listening to was the music that they were dancing to and enjoying on October 7th. Red Rocks was the desert near Gaza. As I looked out beyond the stage, the views reminded me of the views from the lower Galil just a few weeks ago as we prepared for Shabbat.

Red Rocks views that resemble the Lower Galilee in Israel

I could imagine fireworks in the air above me, what the Nova concert goers thought the rocket attacks on October 7th were. I could imagine people on hangliders flying in over the mountains to attack. I could picture terrorists coming from the bottom by the stage and from the top and sides of the venue, trapping us with nowhere to go. No chance of survival. Red Rocks had become Nova and the bomb shelters around Nova.

It was a chilling feeling and hard to let go of. Part of me knew I would never let go of it. October 7th and what I had seen at Nova and Kibbutz Kfar Aza along with in the Hamas 47 minute video are burned into my soul, into my being. I also knew that I had to let it go. As Mia Schem said, and then had tattooed on her arm after being released from being a hostage by Hamas, “We will dance again'” means we must continue to live. We cannot be consumed by the past although we can never forget it. It is why I got it on my forearm. To remember both what happened and that we must live. So I refocused. Took in the beauty around us. As the Counting Crows finished and darkness took over the arena, I looked around and found the beauty again.

Red Rocks looking up from row 25 to the back. Spectacular.

Santana took the stage and the show was more incredible than I expected. He is a musical genius, his sound unique and piercing the venue, the acoustics bouncing it all around and through us. We sang. We danced, we were overwhelmed by the experience. I said to Alison many times through the show how incredible the music was both in my ears and through my body. If you have never had that experience, it is indescribable. It took over my entire being.

I love this song and it fills my soul – last night at Red Rocks it filled my body as well

Yet throughout the concert, I kept looking to the sides and above me, just in case there were terrorists hangliding into the arena or ambushing us from the front, back, and the sides. It was surreal, almost like being in a movie waiting for the bad guys to take over the innocent civilians and then hoping the good guys would get there in time. Knowing the isolation of Red Rocks, I wasn’t secure that they would. I could channel the fear of the festival attendees waiting for the IDF to show up and rescue them and not having them come in time.

This is the reality of the post October 7th world. We have seen evil up close in a way we never have before. The way that Hamas live streamed and recorded their murders, rapes and kidnappings has never happened before. The way it touched and impacted the entire Jewish community is transformative. As a little kid, I remember watching the TV mini-series “Holocaust” and being worried about taking a shower for a day or two, wondering if it would be a shower or gas. But that was a TV show. I knew that wasn’t real. I knew that it happened 30 years prior but that those were actors I was watching. What we saw on October 7th was real. They were not actors. I have met their families. I have seen the devastation with my own eyes, touched it with my own hands, felt it deep within my own heart.

Carlos Santana said twice last night that, “It takes courage to be happy” and he is correct. Mia Schem reminded us of that when she said, “We will dance again” and got her tattoo. I have mine to always remember that. October 7th was a defining moment in both Jewish life and in the history of the world. We saw pure evil face to face. How we choose to handle it yet to be determined. The fate of not just the Jewish people but the entire world depends on it.

Santana playing The Name of Love, a great song and reminding us about love, not hate.

I can’t wait to return to Red Rocks to see another concert. Alison and I both said the same things as we walked out of the venue, ‘we need to come back’. There is something spiritual and holy about this site. Just like there is somethign spiritual and holy about the Nova site and Kfar Aza for me. Red Rocks and Nova will always be linked for me. My vow is that it is also about the future beauty of music and love and community. I won’t let the evil of October 7th ruin the future. Last night I felt like the soul of every person murdered on October 7th was there with me, celebrating the music of Carlos Santana and dancing with me.

The Nova site

Fighting antisemitism by being Jewish

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

I have been talking and writing about the increase in antisemitism and Jew hatred for a decade now.  I saw it when I was living in Seattle when a swastika would be drawn/painted on a Jewish building almost monthly.  I called it out then and many people thought I was being reactionary and fear mongering.  I was pointing out what was happening.

Over the past decade, it has only gotten worse.  Since October 7th, the rise in Jew hatred has become frightening.  Violence against Jews is now common.  Shooting at Jewish schools happens too often.  Ugly, racist protests occur on college campuses and in the streets in the US, Canada, and throughout Europe.  Israeli Olympic athletes are threatened with death.  The Palestinian athletes are allowed to wear shirts with bombs dropping on Israel, but the Israeli athletes are not permitted to wear the yellow ribbons for the hostages.  The list goes on and on. 

I have mentioned many times how I’m not super religious but very Jewish.  Over the past few years, I have been digging deeper into what being Jewish means to me outside of services.  Like many people, services don’t connect or inspire me.  I knew there was much more to being Jewish than just religious services so my exploration into Jewish spirituality, text and how it applies to my life, and finding more meaning have been a big part of my recent journey.

As I learn with Rabbi Ehrenkranz, we include a bit of prayers to understand the why instead of the what.  My recent trip to Israel with the Jewish Leadership Institute (JLI) also focused deeply on the why instead of the what.  My recent trips to Israel have also been an exploration into the why instead of the what.  Why does Jerusalem matter?  What is the point behind some of what we do?  What is the intention?  The goal?  The objective?  I have found that when I understand the why, I can adapt the what to fit my life and what is meaningful to me.  Judaism has adapted since the time of Abraham, Moses, King David, and even the 2nd Temple.  We don’t pray the way they did but we can connect to God and each other the way they did.  I find that very meaningful.

Rabbi Ehrenkranz started a monthly Sunday morning Minyan (prayer service) that I began attending because he asked me to.  Often times, just asking somebody you have a relationship with gets them to do what you ask.  It turns out most of the people who attend are friends of mine, so it becomes a social gathering as well as an opportunity to grow.  I appreciate how Rabbi Ehrenkranz explains the goal of each part of the service.  It has enabled me to move away from reading the Hebrew words that I don’t know what they mean and instead think about the goal and objective and connect that way.  It has turned an experience that was rote into one that is meaningful.

This Sunday, with all that is going on in Israel and the recent attack by Hezbollah on the Druze village, I chose to wear my IDF tzitzit (ritual fringed garments).  I got them from Rabbi Atlas in the IDF as I am helping him with a project to fund the 5,000 mezuzahs the IDF needs.  I don’t wear them regularly and in fact, this was the first time that I wore them under my shirt like you are ‘supposed’ to.  It was a way to connect to Israel, the IDF, and Judaism.  I feel that way about mezuzahs too – something that is easy to put on your door and have a meaningful symbol without being required to be super religious.  It’s an easy thing to put on your doorpost and show Jewish pride both internally and externally.  If you don’t have one and want one, MyZuzah will give you one for FREE!  And if you want to support the IDF in their effort to get their needed mezuzahs for IDF soldiers, there is a dollar for dollar match and you can buy them for the IDF here for $30 each.

At the minyan, I spent the time during the silent Amidah (the major prayer of the service) in my own mediation and conversation with God, thanking God for all the gifts in my life today.  In my learning with Rabbi Ehrenkranz, part of what I have learned is that most of our prayers are really a reminder to ourselves about how we should live and how much we need to be thankful to God for our lives.  As such, I took this time to focus in this area.  It is easy to take so many things for granted in our lives and this gave me a few minutes to really focus on things and express my gratitude.  Instead of reading Hebrew words without meaning, this time was special because it was focused on gratitude.  It reshaped my entire day as I realized not only how lucky I am to live the life that I do but also that it is only by the grace of God that I have so many gifts.  I am grateful to Rabbi Ehrenkranz for helping me find meaning in something that didn’t have meaning before.

We sang Acheinu, the prayer for those in capitivity, for the hostages. I began singing this in Israel in July and it has become incredibly meaningful to me. It’s an easy song to sing, a powerful prayer to say, and reminds me to keep the hostages front and center in my mind. That, along with my ‘Bring them home now’ dogtag that I wear every day keeps my priorities front of mind. It has been almost 10 full months of captivity and the reports now coming out from released hostages are horrific. I’m glad that I learned the how to sing it and do so daily. It takes me a couple of minutes, fills me with gratitude for my life, and doesn’t let me ever forget the hostages.

Over the past few years, I have been very lucky to have some amazing Jewish mentors and teachers.  People who expose me to things that are meaningful and show Judaism in a different way in which I can connect.  Harry Rothenberg, Ari Shabat,  Saul Blinkoff, Lori Palatnik, Mickey Singer, David Abramowitz, and Rabbi Ehrenkranz are just some of them.  Each exposes me to different things to think about.  Each one expands my knowledge and enriches my life in different ways.  Pirkei Avot says, “Find yourself a teacher, acquire for yourself a friend”, and I have found this to be true.  Each of these teachers are also friends and only one is a Rabbi!

As somebody who raised somewhat religious and is not any longer, I have found deep meaning in Judaism through understanding the why of what we do.  The what doesn’t really mean much to me but the why is something entirely different.  As antisemitism grows and Jew hatred explodes across the globe, I have found investing in my Jewish identity and Jewish meaningful practices to be important.  I have begun to bake challah again.  I make sure to say thank you to God every morning for waking me up (the basis of the Modeh Ani prayer), and since I learned about thanking God for making the rooster understand the difference between day and night, I thank him for the beauty of nature and this world. (It is a funny prayer that we start with – almost like the Rabbi’s are pranking us!)

Many people think it is all or nothing.  You either go to synagogue or you don’t pray.  You either can pray in Hebrew or you don’t pray Jewishly.  You keep kosher or you aren’t really Jewish.  You keep Shabbat one specific way, or it doesn’t have any meaning to you.  I have found just the opposite.  There is incredible gray in Judaism once you understand why we do things.  Then you have the opportunity to do what is meaningful to you to accomplish the goals. 

I encourage you to explore the why.  To learn about why Israel matters to Judaism.  To understand the intent behind the services and the prayers we do.  It will open doors for you to grow in ways you can’t imagine.

We are all Druze

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

Before October 7, 2023, I have been concened about hatred and antisemitism. I have spoken about it frequently for more than a decade. When the hate groups started their public attack on Jews in Orlando, I spoke about it on the news with regularity. October 7th was still shocking and I haven’t stopped since then. This week I have reached a breaking point.

What brought me to my breaking point this week? The reaction to Hezbollah bombing a Druze village where kids were playing soccer. The Druze are are an Arab and Arabic-speaking esoteric ethnoreligious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, syncretic, and ethnic religion. They are citizens of Israel and serve in the IDF. They love Israel and are a part of Israeli society and culture. When anybody calls Israel an apartheid state, the Druze are one perfect example of how that is a lie.

I have been to Druze villages, met Druze people, and had a meal together. They are wonderful and warm people. This bombing broke my heart. 12 children were murdered as of this time with 4 coming from one family.

Not in order – 10 of the 12 names of the murdered children. Fajr Laith Abus Saleh, 16, Amir Rabie Abu Saleh, 16, Hazem Akram Abu Saleh, 15, John Wadie Ibrahim, 13, Izel Neshat Ayoub, 12, Finis Adham Safadi, 11, Yazan Naif Abu Saleh, 12, Alma Ayman Fakhruddin, 11, Naji Taher Halabi, 11, Milad Muadad Al-Sha’ar, 10.

The bombing made me angry but the response to the bombing and murder of these children playing soccer is what took me past the breaking point. The BBC headline was offensive. The example below shows what they wrote and what they should have written.

Then there are tweets like this where Hezbollah terrorists are celebrating the murder of these children. We saw the celebration on October 7th as Hamas recorded themselves ecstatic over murdering Jews.

Hamas has vowed to do October 7th over and over again. Hezbollah, another Iranian proxy, will do the same. The Iranian regime wants the eliminate the Jews and Israel. If the celebrations on October 7th weren’t enough (and they were more than enough), the celebrations of the murder of these Druze children shows the world who we are dealing with.

Audio recording of a terrorist celebrating killing 10 Jews with his parents on October 7

Yet the response from the world is shocking. Instead of being angry and seeing the evil of these terrorists, the Biden administration is urging a ‘measured response’. Vice President Harris (and prospective Presidential nominee Harris) has not said anything publicly. The UN remains silent. Amnesty remains silent. UNICEF remains silent. These are children, citizens of Israel, that were massacred. Unlike Hamas, there are no military bases here. There were no attacks from this Druze village. This was purely an attack on civilians but Hezbollah using rockets provided by Iran.

Victims from the Hezbollah bombing of Druze children playing soccer. May their memories always be a blessing.

Speaking of Iran, reports have come out that not only has Iran threatened war should Israel retaliate but American leadership has been talking with Iran to ensure them that they won’t allow Israel to respond in whatever way Israel determines necessary. Iran, two weeks away from breakout for nuclear weapons due to the disasterous JCPOA. Iran, the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism. Iran, who wants to establish a caliphate and calls America ‘Great Satan’. Iran, who murders their own people.

I talk a lot about leadership and the lack of leadership that we face in today’s world. Our leaders are more interested in appeasement than leading. Their willingness to cave in and show weakness to avoid war has emboldened others to create war. Russia-Ukraine. Hamas-Israel. Hezbollah-Israel. China is threatening Taiwan. Iran, Russia, and China have joined forces to create a new axis of evil. Our leaders have forgotten that peace comes through strength, not through weakness and appeasement. They have forgotten that our Declaration of Indepence clearly states:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

That is the promise of America and we are not living up to it. These children murdered in the Druze village and their families and friends have been robbed of this. Our leadership is more interested in staying in power than doing their duty and living up to American values and morals.

We don’t know what the future holds. We don’t know how Israel will respond to this attack. Will it be full scale war with Hezbollah? Will it also be war with Iran? What will the United States do if it is war with either or both? How will the UN blame Israel for being attacked?

One thing we know is that Israel will protect her citizens. This Druze village was an Israeli village. The people murdered were Israeli citizens. It will not go unanswered. The question is how will the world respond? Will they support Israel’s right to defend herself and exist? Will they stand on the sidelines quietly? Will they criticize Israel, refuse to support her, and potentially support Iran and Hezbollah? Will they pay attention to the fact that the children murdered were Druze-Israelis and not Jewish Israelis?

Approximately 83% of the Druze population serve in the IDF. They are passionate about their country Israel. They are patriots. In Lebanon, 5% of the population is Druze. When Israel attacks, will the Lebanese Druze help Israel with Hezbollah? So much is unknown as a result of our approach of appeasement. Is this the time when China will attempt to take Taiwan? Will Russia use this as an opportunity to increase their efforts in Ukraine?

The world is unstable in a way it hasn’t been for decades because of a lack of leadership. The fear of war has only created the reality of war. Having just returned from Israel less than 2 weeks ago, my heart breaks for this Druze village and the Druze people. It breaks for the IDF soldiers who are now preparing for war with Hezbollah and their families. Leadership is hard. It is challenging. It is making tough decisions because they are the right ones, not because they are easy or because that’s what a section of the vocal public says they want. Leaders lead. They take risks because they understand that playing it safe often ends up doing just the opposite.

We are all Druze

I went to minyan this morning. It’s not something I do regularly but it is something I do monthly because it’s run by friends and the Rabbi who I learn with. The people there are friends and I enjoy being together as a community. I use the time to really think about both what I have been learning with Rabbi Ehrenkranz and my connection with God. Today, I chose to wear my IDF Tzizit. I don’t wear tzitzit and haven’t since I was in Jewish Day School in 5th grade. Yet today, I had to wear them. I had to do whatever it may take to help the Jewish people. I put on Tefillin and my tallis. I prayed with my friends. I asked God to keep Israel, the IDF, and the Jewish people safe. I prayed for the souls of the Druze children who were murdered. I was an active part of the Jewish community.

We all have a role to play. We need to hold our leaders accountable. They need to hear our voices. We need to be connected as Jews, whatever that means to you. Some do it through prayer. Some do it through actions. Some do it through Tikkun Olam. Some do it through study. Some through ritual and some through holidays. Others through food. It doesn’t matter what you do, only that you do something and it is meaningful to you.

How will you take action today to benefit the Jewish community, Israel, and the world? What role will you play in ensuring a bright future? Our actions matter, whether it is with our friends, our neighbors, our local community, our statewide community, or our country. Every one of us has the ability to change the world one person at a time. I urge you to take the time to do that before it is too late.

Leadership. Are they failing us or are we failing them?

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

I write a lot about leadership and the challenges we face with our leaders.  World Leaders.  United States Leaders.  Jewish communal leaders.  It isn’t limited to one specific area.  It’s about a lack of leadership in general.  I often wonder what happened and where we went wrong.  The days of leaders leading is long gone – now it is about what the followers want.  It reminds me of the Henry Ford quote:

Leadership is a word used often but rarely seen. We call people our ‘leaders’ because of their position, either professional or volunteer. Because of their titles. Because of their income or philanthropic giving. None of that makes them leaders. And that certainly does not make them good leaders, talented leaders, or effective leaders. They often cause more harm than good as a result.

Leadership is something that requires learning. Many people are born with the charisma to lead but if they don’t have the education about effective leadership, they merely lead people in the wrong direction. As Steve Jobs famously said, and as Apple famously marketed, you must “Think Different.”

Leaders lead. It sounds like a silly thing to say but far too many leaders simply follow. They follow group think and don’t think differently. They give people what they say they want rather than what they need. The group they lead ends up with faster horses, not cars.

We saw this when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to address the US Congress. Here is the list of who chose not to attend the speech. Instead of showing leadership, they showed cowardice. Instead of showing up to hear what one of the elected leader of one of our staunch allies had to say, they chose to make a political statement by not showing up. In fairness, VP Harris and Sen Vance had prior commitments, they did not officially boycott the speach, but the choice to prioritize their prior commitments over this critical address showed a lack of leadership. All those who chose not to show up or to boycott, sent a message to Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah, to continue their attacks and to continue their terrorism. Their actions make the world a less safe place.

Vice President Kamala Harris (D)

Senate:

  • Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
  • Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
  • Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
  • Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI)
  • Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
  • Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
  • Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA)
  • Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT)
  • Sen. J.D Vance (R-OH)

House of Representatives:

  • Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
  • Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA)
  • Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX)
  • Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC)
  • Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)
  • Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)
  • Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA)
  • Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA)
  • Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
  • Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY)
  • Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA)
  • Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL)
  • Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA)
  • Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA)
  • Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY)
  • Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL)
  • Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)
  • Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)
  • Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
  • Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN)
  • Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
  • Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD)
  • Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA)
  • Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA)
  • Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ)
  • Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO)
  • Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA)
  • Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN)
  • Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT)
  • Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI)
  • Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM)
  • Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM)
  • Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY)
  • Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA)
  • Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY)
  • Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX)
  • Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA)
  • Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX)

We live in a time when leadership appears to be missing on so many levels. We see it at the top. We see it in congress. We see it as the Supreme Court code of ethics is an issue. We see it in our state governments and we see it in our Jewish communities. Being a leader is going where we need to go, not where the people want to go. Being a leader is taking a principled stand and leading the people there. Following the guidance of the people isn’t being a leader. It’s being a sheep. Leading is being willing to take the risk and get that ‘first follower’, another leader, which attracts others. Our leaders today are not willing to take that risk. They don’t believe they will have that first follower that will start a movement. They prefer safety to leadership and risk.

We see that regularly among our leaders when it comes to Israel. Too many of our Jewish leaders stay silent. They don’t want to take a position out of fear that people will be upset and they will have to defend their position. They are worried they will lose their donors, lose their job, lose status. They don’t lead from vision, passion, and belief. They lead from fear.

We see that with our elected officials. They try to take both sides of an issue, saying nothing, standing for nothing, and trying to be liked by all instead of being a leader for all. The amount of lies that continue to be told about the war in Gaza is staggering.

  1. The death toll. The UN has come out publicly with a report reducing the number of women and children who have been killed. The overstated number is what is continually used, even by VP Kamala Harris this week.
  2. The famine is because Israel won’t allow the food in. Another UN report has documented that plenty of food is coming into Gaza. More calories per person per day than is required to be sent in. The food doesn’t get to the people because UNRWA and Hamas divert it. The commonly heard complaint from people in Gaza is that the food is too expensive. This is humanitarian aid, coming at no cost. It’s only too expensive because it is being stolen and diverted to be sold or used by Hamas.
  3. Israel is bombing schools, hospitals, medical clinics and mosques. Hamas is using these sites as military bases and storing and firing weapons from them. Hamas has committed and is committing war crimes by doing this. Hamas places the entrance to their terror tunnels either inside these buildings or next to them. They are actually FORMER schools, hospitals, medical clinics and mosques after Hamas turns them into military bases.
  4. Israel is targeting civiians, commiting genocide. There are two parts to this lie.
    • First, Israel notifies civilians IN ADVANCE of bombings so they can leave. They do this with flyers dropped from airplances, text (SMS) messages and phone calls. They warn civilians because they do not want to harm them. In fact, the person who fires the weapons can call off the attack if they think it’s too dangerous to civilians, even if it has been approproved by the highest in command!
    • Second, based on the death toll reported by Hamas/Gazan Health Ministry/UN, there have been a total of approximately 38,000 people in Gaza. While this number includes approximately 19,000 Hamas terrorists along with those who died of natural causes, they don’t break it out at all. Since the start of the war, the UN has documented 50,000 new births in Gaza. This means that the population of Gaza has INCREASED per Hamas/Gazan Health Ministry/UN since the start of the war. That fact alone makes it clearly not a genocide.
  5. Israel is targeting UN Aid workers. It has been proven that these ‘UN Aid workers’, employees of UNRWA, not only participated in the attack on October 7, they remain currently involved with Hamas. They are and have housed hostages. They are giving the food to Hamas. They are using their houses and buildings to store Hamas weapons and let them be used as Hamas headquarters. Tunnel openings are just outside or inside these facilities. These are not humanitarian workers. They are terrorists. These are not relief buildings, these are military installations.
  6. Israel is stopping a ceasefire. Israel has offered many ceasefire options. It is Hamas that rejects every ceasefire offering. It is Hamas that uses the fact that our leaders in the US and around the world spread these lies to delay and attempt to stay in power. For there to be a ceasefire, Israel has said the agreement must include the following:
    • All the hostages released. Those who are no longer alive must have their bodies returned.
    • Hamas must surrender and the new government must be demilitarized and cannot include Hamas
    • Israel must maintain military control to ensure terrorists cannot take over and that there can never be another attack like on October 7.
  7. Israel is not providing vaccines to to the people of Gaza. Israel has documented that they have provided vaccines for over 2 MILLION PEOPLE IN GAZA since the start of the war. It is up to UNRWA to actually take the vaccines provided and give them to the people. It is UNRWA that is not doing this. It is UNRWA, working with Hamas, who keep the people of Gaza in chains.

Since 1967, the same attempt has been made by our leaders to create peace. Pressure Israel. Make Israel give up safety and security for peace. It has never worked. What has worked is when the Arab leaders saw it was in their best interests to make peace with Israel. Anwar Sadat, after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, realized it was in the best interests of Egypt to make peace with Israel. As a result, in September 1978, the Camp David Accords were signed, resulting in a lasting peace with Egypt. In 1987, King Hussein of Jordan realized it would be in Jordan’s best interests to have peace with Israel. It took while but in October 1994, the Wadi Araba Treaty was signed by Jordan and Israel, creating peace. In 2016, a number of Arab countries realized it would be in their best interests, both economic and security wise, to have peace with Israel. This resulted in the 2020 creation of the Abraham Accords in which the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain normalized relations with Israel. Since then Sudan and Morocco have joined the agreement and normalized relations with Israel. Prior to October 7, both Saudi Arabia and Indonesia were preparing to normalize relations with Israel.

Our leaders are not leading. They are continuing failed policy because the sound bites are good. Because it doesn’t get people upset. It doesn’t pose any risk to our leaders to take these failed positions. We saw with Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump that these agreements are possible but only when you don’t follow the tired script that has failed for 55 years.

The war in Gaza will end. The attacks from Hezbollah and the Houthi’s will end. The real question is what are our leaders going to do about Iran, a true threat to the world. What are they going to do with Russia and China? These three countries have joined together to create a new Axis of Evil. Since the discussion of JCPOA under President Obama, we have heard from our leaders that Iran will not be permitted to have nuclear weapons, yet we heard last week from US Secretary of State Tony Blinken that Iran is only 2 weeks away from a breakout to have a nuclear weapon. Our leaders continue to fail us. Our leaders continue to fail the world.

How long are we going to tolerate this from our leaders throughout society? From our national, state, loca and Jewish leaders? How long are we going to continue to elect and support failed leadership that continues to follow failed policies? How long are we going to tolerate the lies being told to us, especially when we know we are being lied to? When are we going to stand up and demand our leaders show real leadership and do what is necessary not what is politically or socially expedient. When will we demand that they take a stand and stick to it rather than play the middle and try to say just enough that everybody doesn’t get outraged at their lack of a position? Our leaders have and continue to fail us but just as importantly, we continue to fail them. We continue to pick ‘the lesser of two evils’. We continue to allow money to decide who is nominated and who leads. We continue to enable them and their failure.

As long as we are willing to accept the status quo, nothing will change. As long as we fail to demand more from our leaders, they will give us less. The responsiblity lies with us. What are you going to do? Are you going to remain a lemming and blame others? Are you going to continue to accept the lack of leadership? Are you going to choose not to get involved with Jewish life or with our elections? Or are you going to stand up and demand more? Demand better.

The United States was founded on demanding more and demanding better. We have never been perfect but for a long time we worked to be better. In a January 1787 letter from Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, Jefferson wrote:

“I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccesful rebellions indeed generally establish the incroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them.”

We often cite our founding fathers. Are we going to listen to Jefferson? Or are we going to sit back and allow failed approaches and failed leadership throughout all aspects of our community? The choice is ours. Don’t ever forget the classic lyrics from the rock band Rush:

Zionist vs. Patriot

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

I’ve been a proud Zionist all my life.  My great-grandmother, who I knew, was a Zionist.  My grandparents were Zionists.  On a visit to Israel a number of years ago, I went to the JNF building and found the books that had their name in it for their support of JNF back in the 60s.  My parents were Zionists.  I grew up filled with a love for Israel and a strong belief in the importance of a Jewish homeland. 

All four of my grandparents went to Israel.  My parents went to Israel.  My in-laws went to Israel.  My brother and sister-in-law have been to Israel.  My sister and brother-in-law have been to Israel.  My wife has been to Israel and this last trip was my 22nd trip to Israel.  The proof is in the pudding as they say.

On this recent trip, while sitting in the back of the bus with one of the participants, he posed an interesting question to me.  “Why do we still call it Zionism?”   After all, Zionism is the belief that the Jewish people should have their own state and be able to have their own self-determination.  We have that.  We have had it for 76 years.  In 1776, the Americans were revolutionaries.  We no longer call ourselves revolutionaries nor have we for more than two centuries.  We are patriots because America is a country, and we no longer have to fight for our freedom from another country’s rule.

In 1948, in the former home of Mayor Meir Dizengoff, David Ben Gurion declared independence for the State of Israel.  While we have fought many wars since then, from that point forward the Jewish people have had a state.  We have had our homeland.  We have had self-determination.  So why are we still calling it Zionism?  Shouldn’t we just be patriots as well?  Haven’t we accomplished the goal of Zionism, the creation of a Jewish homeland?

It is a question I find myself struggling with for many reasons. While we have a Jewish homeland, the State of Israel, there are so many people and countries that want to eliminate our homeland and right to self determination that we must always be vigilant. So while we have our Jewish state and self determination, we cannot afford to sit on our laurels. We must continue to fight to maintain it. As a Zionist, I fight for our homeland and won’t let it be deligitimized. Today, more than ever, that is critical. The United Nations, UNRWA, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are actively working to eliminate our homeland. If we are merely patriots, do we lose the urgency needed to defend Israel? Do we forget how long it took us to have our homeland after the Romans sent us into exile? Do we lose the passion of Zionism when we become Patriots? I don’t have the answers but I do have the questions.

On the flip side, we have our country. We have the right to self determination. Do we really need to be fighting for something that we already have? Defend it as patriots, yes. The Zionist dream is real and has been for 76 years. We accomplished the goal of Theodore Herzl. His radical idea, “the restoration of the Jewish State”, has come to pass. Are we using a word that we don’t need to? Are we creating challenges for ourselves because of that? Is it time to change the paradigm, to not live in fear that we will not have a Jewish state, because we actually have one?

As a Zionist, that word ties me to generations of my family. It ties me not only to my Great-great-grandparents and the time of Herzl but to ancient Jews and receiving the Torah. It is being a part of the Jewish people. Generations upon generations. When I was recently in Israel, walking on 2,000 year old streets, looking out at where King David’s castle was, praying at the Kotel, the base of Temple Mount, it all came together. My ancestors from thousands of years ago stood where I was standing.

Original streets from more than 2,000 years ago, beneath the Kotel.

In May, when I stood on top of Temple Mount, it was a connection to the Temple built by Solomon and then rebuilt and modified by King Herod.

In front of Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount, where the Temple used to stand

At Passover every year, we remember that God took us out of Egypt. Not just our ancestors but us. We were all at Sinai for the giving of the Torah. Judaism isn’t about what happened to others. It’s about what happens for us. So yes, the Zionistic dream of Herzl has been attained. But Zionism remains for all of us to defend. To fight for. To advocate for. Our history shows us that if we take it for granted, we will lose it.

After lots of thinking about the word Zionist and comparing it to Patriot, there is no question in my mind that Zionist is the right word. Our homeland is too precious to be diluted. As I watch so many Jews not understand the importance of Israel, having never been to Israel, not seeing the historical connection and minimizing what Israel means to Judaism and the Jewish people, I am not sure the fight for Zionism will ever be over. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to those who came before us and fought for Zionism and for the existance of Israel. They are giants on who’s shoulders we continue the fight.

I won’t change from Zionist to Patriot. I won’t stop advocating for Israel and the Jewish state. And I won’t stop being public with my Jewish identity and passion for Israel. Each trip I video walking the streets to show those who have never been what it’s really like. I post images and tell stories. Zionism is more than a national identity. It is core to the Jewish people. From Abraham to Moses to Joshua to King David to King Solomon, from the Mishkan to the First Temple to the Second Temple. If you don’t believe me, take a trip to Israel and see it yourself.

Am Yisrael Chai!

Thoughts from my July 2024 Israel trip

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

I returned from Israel about a week ago.  It was my second trip this summer and very meaningful on many levels.  I love going to Israel and being in Israel.  Everybody in my family knows how much I enjoy being there, how meaningful it is to me, and I’m sure there are some who expect that one day I will make Aliyah and live there.

This trip was highlighted by a few things that I think are very important, not just because they mean so much to me but because they highlight a bigger picture of Israel and the meaning to the Jewish people.

We got off the plane and after changing, the first thing we did was go to work the land.  There is something about Israel and working the land that is incredibly gratifying.  We went to pick apples that will be given to those in need.  It was a hot morning, and we had our water and hats and off we went.  There were two huge bins to fill that looked daunting when we began.  Yet working the land in Israel meant that we worked hard.  Very quickly the first bin was halfway full.  We talked, we laughed, and we picked apples.  Halfway through filling both bins, we took a break to eat some fresh watermelon.  By fresh, I mean it was picked just to cut up for us. 

Israel was founded by working the land.  “Making the desert bloom” remains a key goal and catchphrase.  There is something about getting your hands dirty in Israel by picking fruits and vegetables that is incredibly rewarding and meaningful.  It ties you to the founders of the State of Israel.  It ties you to 3500 years of Jewish history in the land of Israel.  I’ve been to farms in the Negev where they are growing fruit and vegetables in the sand and picked them.  I’ve helped with lemon trees in the Gaza envelope.  I’ve been to a friend’s Moshav near Gaza growing all sorts of fruits, vegetables, and nuts.  Now I have picked apples.  It’s incredibly rewarding, and I can’t wait to do it again.  I learned about Israel Food Rescue, an opportunity to volunteer picking fruit and vegetables in Israel to help harvest the food needed since the loss of so many Thai workers and Palestinian workers since October 7.  Israel gives you an opportunity to really give back, not just with money or time, but with your hands and sweat equity. 

I had the opportunity of this trip to meet and do some work with incredible leaders of Israeli civil society.  I went to the Knesset to meet with MK Sharron Haskel, an amazing leader who represents a new generation of Israeli leaders.  As we reach a crossroads in Israel with leadership, she is part of a new generation that will shape the future.  I met with former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, who I met a number of years ago and is a friend.  Fleur is also part of this new generation of Israeli leaders who will change the shape of the country.  Fleur spoke to our group and captivated them with her brilliance.  Her analysis of the possibility of a 2-state solution, a 1-state solution, and other options for peace was fascinating.  She recently debated former Ambassador Dennis Ross on the topic and I can’t wait to watch it when it is released on August 2nd.  I met with Brigadier General (ret) Amir Avivi and my friend Lt. Col. (ret) Yaron Buskila about the future of leadership in the IDF and the Jewish world.  They are doing some exciting work and I have the opportunity to be a part of it and learn from them.  I met with Lt. Col. Rabbi Yedida Atlas who oversees the religious aspect of the IDF.  He gave me a pair of the IDF’s tzitzit (ritual garments worn under your shirt) that since October 7, IDF soldiers, regardless of their religion, want to wear for spiritual protection.  Later that day, I had the chance to help make tzitzit for the IDF which was incredibly meaningful.  I am working with him to get enough mezuzahs for the IDF due to the war and all the reserve call-ups.  I was on a zoom call with my friend Roni Ekele, the Director General of the Ethiopian National Project (ENP) and childhood friend, Grace Rodnitzki, the Director of International Relations for ENP.  ENP provides critical services for the Ethiopian Israeli youth to ensure their success in Israeli society. 

With Member of the Knesset Sharron Haskel
Lt. Col. Rabbi Atlas and me
With my friend Lt. Col. Yaron Buskila
With my friends Fleur Hassan Nahoum, Lisa Barkan and Rabbi Randy Brown

In Israel, you have the ability to meet, befriend, and work with incredible leaders.  They are accessible.  They are friendly.  They are passionate.  I have great hope for the future of Israel because of these leaders – the future leaders of the country.  In America, we are very concerned about the future of our leadership.  We wonder where the quality leaders are and where they will come from.  In Israel, we see them emerging in all aspects of society. 

This was a leadership trip for 19-26 year olds. We had a very diverse group on the trip. Some graduated Jewish Day School. Some were entirely secular. Some knew nothing. Throughout the trip, we learned something with everything we did. The Torah study was interesting as we explored the ‘why’ of the first verses in the Torah. Not the story but what the lesson is behind the story. The things that affect us today. Services were not about the ritual of the service but the meaning of the prayers. Not just what we say, but why we say it. We sang, “L’dor V’dor”, from strength to strenth, throughout the trip, reminding us of our place in Jewish continuity. We sang Acheynu ,the prayer to free captives, for the hostages. As we stood under the Kotel, on original flooring from over 2,000 years ago, we sang it, one of the more powerful experiences I have had in Israel. At our last dinner of the trip, everybody had a chance to share their feelings about the trip and the experience. It was powerful listening to what everybody got out of it. I’m excited to see what this group of leaders is going to do. Just like the future of Israel is bright with their future leaders, I believe that American Jewry can also have a bright future with these type of leaders. It takes effort. It takes work. It’s not easy to find them, recruit them, train them, and pay for all of it. But we must. I have seen the impact of this trip for the past 26 years. I have seen what engaging the future of Jewish life in a meaningful way means and does. It is something I am committed to and I look forward to sharing some exciting plans for 2025 in this area. This trip, seeing what happened for these future leaders, has inspired me to do more. So pay attention, something very exciting is coming in the very near future in regards to young leadership!!

Singing Acheynu for the hostages while standing on a 2,000+ year old original floor under the Kotel
Our group of future leaders after making sandwiches for those in need. The future is bright!!

Israel is a special place. If you haven’t been to Israel, I can’t really explain to you what it’s like. If you have been, I don’t have to. There is something in the air. Walking the streets of Jerusalem is unlike anywhere else in the world. Floating in the Dead Sea, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, doing a water hike in the lower Galilee, eating on the edge of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), looking at the Golan Heights, being at the Kotel, working the land – each is so much more than just an activity. There is a connection. There is deep meaning. Israel isn’t just a place you visit. It visits your soul. It visits your heart and your mind. As we sat in Machane Yehuda one night, the traditional middle eastern market that turns into a nightclub, the buzz was amazing. The music was pumping. The energy level was high. And then they played ‘Am Yisrael Chai’. It touched us all in our hearts and in our souls. We knew it was more than just a nightclub. We knew it was more than just a fun place to be with friends. It was home. It was a connection to thousands of years of history and of family. Israel changed us all for the better. Am Yisrael Chai.

The party at Machane Yehuda at night – Am Yisrael Chai is playing