Tag: future

Reflections from the week

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

As my three days of site visits with Rozana and two days of strategic planning with them have come to an end, I find myself thinking deeply about the experience, what it means, and how it has affected me.

As we wrapped things up over our last two days, it felt like summer camp was ending. Even though I only spent 3-5 days with the Rozana team, they became friends. Some live in Hebron and some in Ramallah. I’ll have to go visit next time I am here. Some are East Jerusalem and some Herzaliya. Some are London and some are Melbourne Australia. Some are New York and others in Jaffa. We are geographically diverse and it is not easy to hang out together until the next big gathering, just like summer camp. It was hard to say goodbye and after just five days, the experience and the people are now part of my heart and soul.

The crew at dinner in Beit Jala
Part of the group with the CEO of Al Ahli hospital
Magen David Adom without our Palestinian friends
Us on on side and the board and Dept heads of Al Ahli Hospital on the other
Outside at the Women4Women clinic as we began our journey together

I met some people at the various hospitals that became friends. Akram, the CEO of Al Rahkma Rehabilitation hospital, and I ended up seeing each other three different times. I’m looking forward to his visit to the US. Muhammad, who is a doctor and teaches at a Palestinian University, who invited me to visit the University so he could give me a tour that I look forward to taking. We sat, talking and talking over lunch, connecting and becoming friends. I want to follow up on Ruba, an amazing doctor and woman who left her Palestinian hospital to do a fellowship at Sheba to better her skills. After finishing an extended fellowship, she will be returning to her hospital to help other doctors and better serve her patients. All new friends, all Palestinian. If you told me that before the trip, I wouldn’t have believed it.

I met a few of the Rozana team on zoom before coming and there were many I only met when I arrived. Ran, Raed, and Diana went from zoom colleagues to friends, each so much better in person. Adil, Wajdi, Malak, and Muhammad each taught me so much and I am lucky to have met them and call them friends. I’m excited to learn more and hang out when I return.

I spent a lot of time with Ken, Ron, Doug and Rodica, each the board chair of their country’s Rozana board. The US, International, the UK and Israel. I’m excited to spend more time with them all.

Rozana showed me the power of connecting on a human level and how it bridges differences and gets beyond the surface level. As we work together, I’ll not only learn from them but I’ll learn more about them and then about me. We are breaking boundaries that the world tells us can’t be done right now. Proof that the talking heads and politicians are wrong and that Rozana is right. It’s people to people. Shared experiences.

I’ve been thinking a lot about these five days and the different lives we live. Not by choice but by outside forces. As I took the train from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv I found myself thinking how easy that was for me yet how hard it was for Adil and Malak to go from Ramallah to Jerusalem. It was so difficult and would have taken so long that they couldn’t join us that day. It took half the time to take the train to Tel Aviv and the taxi to my hotel than it would have taken them to get to Jerusalem.

I have also been thinking about the partnerships that already exist. Israeli and Palestinian hospitals. Joint programs Rozana has with Magen David Adom, Sheba hospital and a number of other organizations. Good things are happening and there is proof that more good things can happen.

Most Jews I know have never met a Palestinian. Never spent time talking with them. Never listening and sharing. Their experiences are merely the talking heads. Many Palestinians have the same experience. There encounter with Jews are only with the IDF and are not positive ones.

This week has reminded me that we need to get beyond what we are being fed. It’s junk food. It’s not healthy for anybody. This week showed me opportunities that I didn’t think were possible for a decade or more are actually happening now!

This isn’t me being Pollyanna or brainwashed. This is my love of Israel deepening with hope. Change is possible NOW, despite the PA, the current Israeli government, Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. It’s happening between people, between institutions, and through partnership.

Yes there are terrorists. Yes there are people who want no Israel and no Jews. All that isn’t true. There are far more who merely want to live their lives fully next to Israel, in partnership with Israel, and with respect from and towards Israelis. They want freedom, not the end of Israel or the Jews. That is our hope. That is our opportunity. It does exist.

After one of my long and deep conversations with a Palestinian this week, he spoke with one of the Rozana lay leaders. In the conversation he mentioned our talk and how much he enjoyed it. Then he asked the lay leader, ‘Is he Jewish?’ It shows what can happen when we meet as people, talk as people, show empathy as people, and focus on our similarities not our differences. We get beyond the stereotypes. I believe that he and I did, hence his question.

I am excited to build my friendships with the people I met and those who are my colleagues. I have much to learn from them and I believe they can learn from me. While the governments aren’t talking and building towards a better future, that doesn’t stop each and every one of us to do so.

A few years ago I learned the meaning of the word ‘Inshallah’. It means ‘If God wills it’. So I will do my part to build for a better future. I hope that you will do yours. And perhaps then we can have peace and that bright future.

Inshallah.

Rozana Day 1 – Hebron and Hope

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

I’m here in Israel with my client, Rozana. Founded in 2013, Rozana works with medical diplomacy, peace through healthcare. It’s an amazing organization that partners Israeli hospitals and medical related organizations with Palestinian hospitals and medical related organizations. As I reviewed their website and the programs they run, I became excited about the opportunity to work with them. I had many friends who shook their heads, wished me good luck, in what they thought was a hopeless effort.

This week Rozana brought members of their international board for site visits to see the work first hand. I was invited to join them and jumped at the chance to see the work in person and to meet the people doing the work and those impacted by it. The President of their American, Australian, UK, and Israeli branches all joined us along with the president of Rozana International and the CEO, CFO, and COO along with a few other members of team. It is an impressive group of people who I have gotten to know very quickly and really like.

Today we visited Hebron. I’ve been there before but only in the small, Jewish part. I loved the small Jewish part and the time I spent at the tombs of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs is indescribable. This was the Palestinian side. I didn’t know what to expect. Our first stop was in the village of Beit Oula, on the outskirts of Hebron. Rozana’s women4women mobile clinic was there. When we arrived, there was an educational session happening about menstrual health. We take for granted that women know about this but in remote areas of area C, that isn’t the case. I watched as these women listened intently to the doctor who was educating them. They do this type of education about women’s health every time the mobile clinic arrives. The clinic has everything needed for women’s health – all the equipment including sonograms, glucometers, fetal heart monitors, etc. This type of healthcare is not availble to the women in the remote areas the clinic serves and they wouldn’t have any access with Rozana. We heard from the woman who lets Rozana use her space for free about how important this was. We heard from the Program Manager about her experiences and the impact they are having. We heard from the head doctor, a midwife, and a phsychologist about the work they do and how impactful it is. They told us about a woman who was diagnosed at a regular clinic with ovarian cysts. It turned out she was 4 months pregnant. Another woman who was having a medical emergency that the clinic diagnosed quickly and was able to get her to an Israel hospital in time for her to deliver the baby and to save her life. Without Rozana and the women4women clinic, both these women would have died.

Women at the educatinal training
Photo of the woman4woman team and Rozana by Dana Bar Simon Tov
Mobile women’s clinic
Inside the women’s mobile clinic
The mobile clinic

The clinic was donated by the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) and is staffed by Palestinian women doctors, nurses, midwives, physical therapists, physchologists, and physiotherapists. It is a true multi-disciplanary team, all provided by Rozana. They visit 3 villages every week. They used to visit 5 villages a week, however the settler violence has made it unsafe for the Rozana staff to go to some of the places they used to go. One of the women who came for the clinic shared how the settlers attacked the 12 women coming the night before and as a result, she was the only one who was willing to walk there today. She had to go the long way and it took her 2 hours to get there and it would be two hours to walk home. She missed the educational part but was going to be able to get the medical care she needed. She told us how important this was to her and she wasn’t willing to miss it.

I was blown away by the work. Seeing the impace on these women, hearing their stories, and seeing the care, committment and passion of these doctors and nurses was inspiritng. I’ve written about my need for hope and the time spent in Beit Oula with the women4women mobile clinic did a lot to inspire me. It’s something the media never covers. Stories of Israeli and Palestinian partnership that you will never hear about. A possible future that the political leaders throughout the world say they want to see but I’m not sure they really do.

Our second stop was at Al Ahli hospital in Hebron. We met with the head of the hospital along with the board of directors, all men except for the board president, who was a woman. They were all successful businessmen who care about healthcare and want to make the hospital great. Al Ahli hospital partners with both Sheba hospital and Hadassah hospital. Once again, nothing you would hear in the news – Israeli hospitals partnering with Palestinian hospitals. But it is happening and in a very meaningful way. Rozana partnered with Al Ahli hospital to train 16 pediatric and adult ICU doctors. Those 16 were given the skills to both use and to teach others. Since that training by Rozana, Al Ahli hospital has trained more than 100 additional ICU doctors. Talk about a return on investment! The hospital provides more than 34 clinics to the people, including project smile where they repair things like cleft palates.

The hospital staff and board were amazing. Friendly. Kind. They had incredible fruit and juices out for us to eat. They brought us coffee (if you’ve never had the deep, dark, powerful Arab coffee you don’t know what you are missing). As we talked about opportunities, it was exciting to see how much they wanted our partnership and how important it is to the hospital and the key decision makers. Another story the media will never tell you. Another narrative blocked from the world view.

Al Ahli hospital
They welcomed us with incredible hospitality
Operation Smile clinic

Our final stop in Hebron was at the Al Rakma Rehabilitation hospital. This is a brand new rehabilitation hospital that is set to open in the next few weeks that will be operated by the Green Land Society for Health Development. It was still under construction when we visited today. This brand new, 7 story hospital is designed by Dr. Akram Amro with incredible foresight and thought. They will provide physical therapy, prosthetics, hydrotherapy, and trauma recovery for neurological, orthopedic, and pediatric patients. Partnering with Alyn Children’s Hospital to train their doctors, nurses, physical therapists, physiotherapists, and support staff how to work with children with disabilities, Al Rakma will be at the cutting edge of rehabilitation treatment.

Rozana has been working with them for years, starting with their Wheels of Hope program that helps ambulences get critically ill pacients out of the West Bank to Israeli hospitals. Often times the delay due to security or there being no ambulance to take them to an Israeli hospital has dire results. They then moved on to partnering on the women4women project. Next was the Day After project – the need for a rehabilitation hospital. Rozana was involved with funding the construction project, one of the very few capital projects the will do, because of how compelling the need is along with the power of Dr. Akram Amro’s vision. As part of this program, Al Rakma is copying the work done in Israel by Yad Sarah, in loaning out medical equipment. They started with wheelchairs and are growing and moving forward with other items. Ultimately, when the time is right, they want to bring 120 children from Gaza who need rehabilitation, prostetics, OT, PT, and/or mental health treatment. For children, who rapidly outgrow their prostetics, the plan is to 3-D print them so they are inexpensive and easily replaceable. Dr. Amro is brilliant and hearing him talk through his plans was exciting.

The therapy pool which will be fully functional in 2 weeks
View of Hebron from Al Rakma Hospitals 6th floor garden deck

Over lunch, I had a chance to spend some time in deep conversation with a few of the Palestinian doctors who are connected to Dr. Amro and the Al Rakma hospital. One of them, Muhammad, was beyond inspiring. He did his training outside the West Bank and finished his studies in Turkey. He chose to return to the West Bank to teach at the University. As we talked, I realized how much we had in common. He talked about the evil of Hamas and how if they were ever to take over in the West Bank how he would leave immediately. He complained about a lack of diversity in the medical school and his desire to have people from other countries; France, Spain, Germany, the US, and even Israel studying in the West Bank. The need for exposure to other cultures was critical to ensure a future with peace and harmony. It was inspiring to hear his passion about a better future. We scanned our WhatsApp codes to keep in touch and he invited me on my next visit to come visit the University. I plan to take him up on the offer.

Our final site visit was at Magen David Adom (MDA). What would MDA have to do with Palestinians? A new program created in partnership with Rozana is teaching Arabs and Jewish women how to be ambulance drivers. Along with regular driving, this 9 month program teaches them all Hebrew (many of the Israelis had made aliyah and struggled with Hebrew), phlebotomy, and how to be a first responder. Each of the women told their story and it was fascinating to hear what brought them to the program, what their desire was, and what they planned to do next. One woman came from a religious muslim family. Another came from a religious Jewish family that she had left behind. She talked about having never met a Palestinian before or eating their food, and then commented how delicious it was. All the women talked about how the program had brought them in touch with people different from them and how grateful they were they had this opportunity. They talked about how close they had gotten and how it felt like family. What incredible success. Learning skills to not only get a job but also to save lives all while breaking down barriers and creating real realtionships between Israelis and Palestinians.

The women at Magen David Adom invlved in the ambulance program

I wrote recently about my challenge in finding hope. Today was all about hope. Hope for a different and better future. Hope for a different and better today. Lots of people talk about potential peace between Israel and Palestine. Rozana is making it happen every single day. To hear about the partnerships between Israeli and Palestinian hospitals that is happening right now, every day, was inspiriing. Meeting the nurses and doctors trained in Israeli hospitals and then taking that knowledge to train their peers was inspiring. Hearing the gratitidue from Palestinian women about the opportunities that Rozana and their Israeli peers have given them was inspiring. Thee are real people, living every day with things we only read about in the newspaper or hear about on the news telling and showing us a different reality, a different today, and the possibility for a very different future. As somebody who believes the the Jews aren’t going anywhere and the Palestinians aren’t going anywhere either, so we have to find a way to live together, I saw that today in all four site visits. I saw a future that I struggled to hold on to before seeing it live today. I added a few new Palestinian friends today to those I met during my Encounter program. Real people who want to live their lives in peace. Who invited me to visit their homes, meeting their families, and into their lives. Tomorrow we are off to Ramallah to see and learn more.

I am not naive that this will be easy. I don’t believe it will be simple. I don’t believe this will be quick. But I do believe that it is possible and can happen. That’s a far cry from the hopelessness that you get from the media and that friends and I have discussed repeatedly over lunch.

Hope isn’t dead when you open your eyes and see what is happening. Today with Rozana popped my eyes wide open. Today opened my heart. I still have lots of conflicting emotions and there are challenges ahead, but I see a pathway happening in real time, today. As I looked out over Jerusalem from our Rozana dinner at the sun setting on Jerusalem and the beauty of the night looking out over Jerusalem, I couldn’t help but being overcome with hope. With the ability to dream. And the desire to continue to struggle with my own beliefs while supporting those who are actively making this hope and dreams into reality. I have a part to play in building a better future for the world and I couldn’t be more grateful to Rozana for showing it to me.

A better Israel – A better world

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

For the last few weeks, I have been focused on Israel in a different way. Rather than being focused on post October 7th, the war with Iran and with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the cold ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza, I’ve been focused on a few NGOs that I work with that all are all dedicated, in one way or another to building a better Israel.

One of the reasons that I love the work I get to do is that I work with people and organizations that are committed to making the world a better place. The past few weeks and the upcoming 2 weeks are an example of that. I am lucky that I get to work with a few organizations in Israel and another one that works with Israeli’s in the United States. Each is working, in their own way, to make Israel, and the world, a better place. Each one inspires me on a daily basis with the work that they do. And the past few week, along with my upcoming trip to Israel for one of them, have been true inspirations at time where the world is deeply troubled and finding home can often be difficult.

This is designed to share the hope that I feel, the inspiration that I get, during these dark times. When a person running for the US House of Representatives talks about creating internment camps for Zionists, when the Mayor of our largest city celebrates Nakba Day, when a Nazi is running for the US House of Representatives, when the NY Times runs an absurd piece about Israel training dogs to rape male Palestinian prisoners, a sitting US Representative blames the Jews (.39% of the Kentucky population, less than 1% of his district’s population) for him losing big in the primary, the 1 year anniversary of the murder of Sarah Milgrim (z’l) and Yaron Lischinsky (z’l) as they left a Jewish event, the lies about how those arrested on the Flotilla were treated, the rise of settler violence that isn’t be prosecuted, and the horrible statements by Ben-Gvir, it’s easy to have no hope. I challenge that because there is so much good happening if you want to look. So I am going to share some of what that good is that inspires me on a daily bases, that gives me hope on a daily basis.

In May, I spent a week traveling with my friend Amit Shahar from Dror Israel. I’ve written about the work of Dror Israel before and it never ceases to amaze me. As we traveled the state, I got to hear him tell stories about the work that they do. The nearly 100,000 children in an Israeli Zionist Youth movement. The 58 Arab villages with more than 20,000 Arab children, actively participating in an Israeli, Zionist, youth movement. The new Urban Kibbutzim (city based where Dror Educators live together in an apartment building and work out in the community) in three (3) new communities. Their efforts to help bring young people back to the North and South of Israel since so few are returning after October 7th and the recent war with Iran.

The PR about Israel is horrible. The lies are told regularly on TikTok and through the media. Yet the stories of hope get no attention. The work Israel is doing to build a better society gets no attention. As we traveled the state, I loved the conversations we had with different people about the work of Dror. People were stunned. People were excited. I brought Amit to my Friday lunch group and we had an incredible conversation that went far beyond the meal. A group that typically talks about the challenges in the world and in Israel was inspired.

One of my favorite Dror programs is the stables they have at Kibbutz Eshbol in the north. The at risk children who attend the boarding school there work with the horses. The big, strong animals push back on them. The horses teach the children while the children are training the horses. It’s a beautiul thing to see. Amit sent me this picture when he returned to Israel because he knows how much I love Kibbutz Eshbol and the stables.

After finishing my week with Amit, I had one day of not traveling to catch up on other work and get a little rest. The next day, I returned to South Florida to discuss another client, The Israel Bridge. Most people have not heard of The Israel Bridge and don’t know what they do. It’s a fabulous organization that helps Israeli athletes come to the United States to play sports at Universities all over the country. They work with the Israeli student athletes to get them scholarships and help them plug in to their local Jewish and Israeli community. These student athletes serve as schlichim, emissaries, from Israel to their teammates and on campus. Many are active in their campus Hillel, Chabad, or Jewish campus organization, bringing Israel directly to both Jewish and non-Jewish students. Their status as scholarship athletes and IDF veterans give them an opportunity to engage students on campus about the realities on the ground, not the lies being told on TikTok, Facebook, X (Twitter), and other social media.

I had the opportunity last year to hear one of the athletes, Guy Finklestein, speak at an event here in Central Florida. He was incredibly inspiring. On their website, Guy is quoted saying:

“I served in Duvdevan, an elite IDF unit, and play college tennis. When war broke out after October 7th, I left a tournament in Indiana to return to Israel and serve two deployments in Gaza.
 
After months of combat, I came to Florida to reset, fell in love with Boca Raton’s Jewish community, and transferred to FAU to study computer science. I’m graduating in December 2025 and excited for what’s ahead while staying true to my roots and giving back.”

Guy Finklestein playing tennis while wearing his “Bring them home NOW” t-shirt, bringing awareness to the hostages that were held in Gaza.

The Israel Bridge supports more than 400 Israeli student athletes on more than 200 different Universities in the United States, and has helped secure more than $30 MILLION DOLLARS in scholarships for these Israeli athletes. At a time when so many people are concerned about the rise of antisemitism and the current campus climates, The Israel Bridge addresses it directly, bringing these amazing Israeli student athletes to so many campuses to be representatives of Israel and provide a peer to the students on campus to ask questions and learn from. At a time when it is easy to be pessimistic about the future in the United States for Jews, with the rise of antisemitism on the left and the right, The Israel Bridge is doing work that is impactful and provides me with hope for the future.

On Thursday of this week, I head to Israel. This will be my 26th trip and first since December 2025. For me, that’s a long time. Israel is in my heart and my soul. This trip is for yet another amazing organization, Rozana. Their mission is peacebuilding through health. They call it Healthcare Diplomacy. I’ll be spending 12 total days in Israel including 5 with Rozana, doing site visits in the West Bank along with some in Tel Aviv and Haifa. The work they do is amazing. At a time when a possible 2-state solution seems impossible, they are doing work on the ground that provides hope that perhaps it will be possible in the future.

From training Palestinian doctors and nurses in Israeli hospitals alongside Israeli doctors and nurses to providing women’s health in Area C where access to healthcare for women is challenging, Rozana is making a difference. Their mobile clinics in Gaza give hope that the people of Gaza will see the value in living side by side with Israel. The rehabilitation center in Hebron provides critical care for those Palestinians who need those services and otherwise wouldn’t get it. We all know the store of Yaya Sinwar and how Israel saved his life only for him to be the architect of October 7th. We can’t afford to let his story stop us from having hope for a future with peace. It’s easy to let his story deter us from doing what is necessary to create the opportunity for peace. Whether it takes 5, 10, 20, or 50 years, the work of Rozana provides hope for a brighter future.

Rozana’s Women4Women mobile clincs

I am excited to see the work of Rozana in person, to meet the Palestinians who are part of the work of Rozana making a difference and creating hope. If you believe, as I do, that the Jews are not going anywhere and that the Palestinians aren’t going anywhere, ultimately we have to find a way to live together. This isn’t me being naive, but rather being a realist. It won’t be easy and it won’t be fast, but if we don’t start now, it will never happen.

I’ll be writing a lot about what I see and experience during my time with Rozana and my time in Israel. From Shabbat in Jerusalem to the site visits with Rozana, to a few days in Tel Aviv before flying back, there is much to see and experience. I’m looking forward to sharing it.

I am very lucky. In a world where it is hard to find hope, to be inspired for a better future, I get to be inspired every single day. I get to work with people who are actively making the world a better place. I see it in person when I go to Israel or when I hear the student athletes talk about their experiences. I hope to inspire others as I share my experiences and the things that give me hope.

Friday I’ll be in Jerusalem. I’ll go to Machane Yehuda (the market) and feel the energy. I’ll join friends for Shabbat dinner at their home. Saturday I’ll go to the Kotel. I’ll wander the old city. I’ll relax while absorbing the specialness of Jerusalem. Sunday I get to start my Rozana journey and see their work in person. Thursday night I’ll be in Tel Aviv, staying at my favorite hotel right on the beach. Jewish history to Jewish future to the Jewish present. What an incredible 12 days I have ahead.

Talking about hope, a friend shared this video with me. With all the lies about Israel, it’s a beautiful and powerful way to combat them. It gives me hope that maybe Israel will improve their PR and move into the TikTok and Instagram world to share the truth in a compelling way. I hope you enjoy it.

Where to do we go from here?

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

I spent the beginning of the week in Washington DC at the Jewish Federation of North America’s (JFNA) General Assembly (GA). The GA is a gathering of 2,000 Jewish communal professionals and volunteer leaders, networking and addressing the challenges facing the Jewish world. I’ve been to more than I can count and find them both energizing and exhausting. This year’s GA is no exception.

With the ‘end of the war’ and the return of the living hostages, this year has focused on rebuilding and resilence, two key factors not just for Israel but for those of us living in the diaspora. The past two years, since October 7, 2023, have been incredibly challenging, painful, and filled with far too many ups and downs both in Israel and the diaspora.

Having just been in Israel and seeing the difference in the country with the return of the living hostages and the hope that perhaps there will remain a cessession of the war, if not an opportunity for peace, I began to feel some hope for Israel and Israelis. I haven’t felt that way about the diaspora and particularly in America. Here at the GA, I have begun to get a little bit of that. So what is that began to give me this hope?

On Sunday night, at the beginning of the first main session, four former hostages spoke to us. Noa Argamani, Avinatan Or, Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal shared not just some of what happened to them but also their incredible gratitude to the IDF soldiers who fought for their freedom. They recognized the soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice in order to rescue them and to defend Israel. They recognized the spouses and children of the soldiers who returned to milium (reserves) time after time after time, all to free the hostages and defend Israel. The incredible grace these four people showed was inspiring. I don’t know that I would be filled with gratitude after being held hostage as long as each of them were. I don’t know that I would be able to show grace instead of anger if I went through what they went through. It was an incredible lesson of humanity and I found it inspirational for me to be a better person, a better friend, a better member of society, and somebody who wants to continue to work to do my part in making this a better world for everybody.

Former hostages Noa Argamani, Avinatan Or, Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal 

I was especially struck by Avinatan as he shared his story. Kept underground, by himself, in the tunnels, for 738 days, more than 2 years. Two years of no sunlight. Two years of no fresh air. Two years of no human companionship, only terrorists beating and harrassing him. He lived in his mind. He told us the story of his escape attempt, digging through the dirt day after day after day. When one day he hit the roots of tree, it was his first proof of life outside the tunnel and the entire audience could imagine that moment. He shared about finally breaking through into the outside and his first breaths of fresh air in well over a year, looking at the stars in the sky at night, and feeling alive, just for a moment, before he was caught and taken back to the tunnels. Bound to a chair and beaten for a week. Yet he wouldn’t lose hope. He wouldn’t lose faith.

We live in a world today that is lacking that hope and that faith. Listening to Avinatan, Noa, Eyatar and Guy was a powerful reminder of community. Of faith. Of hope. These four amazing people somehow managed to keep their faith and hope alive in horrifying circumstances. Just a few days ago, Guy publicly stated that he was sexually abused by Hamas while being held as a hostage. This could break a person’s soul, ruin their faith, and strip hope from them. Yet somehow Guy held on to hope and to faith.

My hope and faith get tested every day. At Park East synagogue in New York, protestors this week chanted antisemitic slogans such as “Death to the IDF” and “Globalize the intifada,” things Mayor-Elect Mamdani has failed to condemn. His spokesperson, Dora Pekec, issued the following statement to the online publication  Jewish Insider:

“The mayor-elect has discouraged the language used at last night’s protest and will continue to do so. He believes every New Yorker should be free to enter a house of worship without intimidation, and that these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.”   

So according to Mayor-elect Mamdani, promoting Aliyah (moving to Israel) at a synagogue is a violation of International Law. He doesn’t condemn those who advocate violence against Jews in other houses of worship. He doesn’t want to crack down on those who plan violence against Jews, those who hurl hate messages outside a house of worship, only those who want to talk about emigrating to Israel. It’s hard not to see the antisemitism and Jew hatred in his statement. I wonder what those in the Jewish community who voted for and support him will say and do if he begins to crack down on anything Israel related in a synagogueor in New York. Will there still be an Israel parade? Will Israeli flags be banned in synagogues in New York? Will we see extra taxes and fees place on flights leaving New York to Israel? How far will it go? He hasn’t even been inaugrated and the concern continues to mount.

Yet I remain hopeful. I won’t lose faith. For the last four days I have been in Seattle with Noam from Dror Israel. We spent a lot of time talking with each other. One of the things that he said repeatedly that stuck with me is that he can’t worry about changing the rest of the world. He can only worry about changing Israel. In this crazy world that we live in, it can be overwhelming to think that we have to change the entire world. Instead, if I focus on changing my world, I can have a real impact. Change my community, my city, maybe even my state. I am not responsible for the entire world or even my entire country. But I can work to change my community. That is my responsibility.

I have been on the road for the past week and have heard from a number of people how I have the best job in the world. I agree with them. I have the privilige of working with amazing nonprofit organizations that are changing their communities. They are changing the world by doing so. I get inspired by them every single day. Every day when I wake up, I know that in my small way, I am helping them to change the world. Because of the work that I do, these organizations are improving the lives of people. It fills me with gratitude. It gives me hope and restores my faith. With Thanksgiving just a few days away, there is so much I have to be thankful for. My family. My health. And the fact that every single day, it this crazy and often absurd world that we live in, I get to do my part to make it a little bit better. I don’t have to be the type of heroes that the IDF soldiers have been, risking their lives to save the hostages. All I have to do is my part to make the world a better place. I know when I wake up tomorrow, that’s exactly what I will do. Will you?

Visiting Israel during war time

Posted on by Keith Dvorchik

As I reflect on this last trip to Israel, the war with Hamas in Gaza is deep in my thoughts.  The potential war in the north with Hezbollah.  All backed by the Iranian regime.  Spending time in May and July in a post-October 7th Israel, visiting the Nova site twice, Kfar Aza twice, hearing from and having a barbecue dinner with the people from Kibbutz Alumim, displaced since October 7th to a hotel in Netanya, and then eating lunch at the Kibbutz with those who returned, hearing from and spending time with my friend Lt. Col. (retired) Yaron Buskila and meeting with Brigadier Gen (Ret) Amir Avivi, hearing and seeing the bombing of Jabaliya and hearing the jets and rockets over Gaza while hearing explosions and gunfire, and spending a weekend in the Lower Galilee while Hezbollah was firing rockets into the upper Galilee has given me a very personal and deeper understanding of what Israel has been going through since October 7th and the changes in the country.

People think they know what is going on, but they really don’t.  They think Israel wants to conquer Gaza and take it over, a land grab, and expel the people living there.  They don’t.  They want the hostages returned.  There wasn’t a day I have spent in Israel in the past two months where returning the hostages was not a primary topic of conversation, where I didn’t see signs calling for their return.  It is a palpable undercurrent throughout the country.  Every hostage is a brother or sister, a son or daughter, a grandchild of the country. 

There is anger at the government, the IDF, Hamas and Iran for what happened on October 7th.  The massacre.  The hostages.  The delay of the IDF in responding.  Major change is coming both in the government and the IDF once Hamas is defeated, and the hostages returned.  There is no national desire to conquer and hold Gaza.  There is a demand that the security between Israel and Gaza be strengthened.  The events of October 7 demand that.  Those who think a full IDF retreat from Gaza is required simply don’t understand October 7, the trauma of the country, and security risk.  If that means those of us in the diaspora have to continue to educate and advocate for Israel, then we will do so.  The end of the war won’t end the Jew hatred we are experiencing because Israel will never allow what happened on October 7 to occur again, regardless of the political cost.  Unlike the past where Israel would have an incursion to Gaza to reduce their military ability and then give them the keys back, Israel will not give up the security control after October 7.  We value human life too much to take that risk again.

There is no desire for war in the north.  Nobody wants the war to last a day longer than needed to get the hostages returned, capture or kill the leaders of Hamas, and end their ability to do anything militarily.  The tunnels in Gaza are actually being dug out so they won’t exist to be used or rebuilt.  Israel is not built for long wars.  The war in the Sinai was 100 days.  In 1967 it was 6 days.  1973 was 19 days.  This is now over 9 months.  In my first 20 trips to Israel, I had never heard the word melowim.  The past two, melowim, being called up for reserves, is common.  Everybody talks about it.  When they were last called up.  When their next call up will be.  They are in and out of active duty after having a chance to rest a little.  I’ve watched speakers finish, go change into their army uniform, come back to say goodbye to us, and then report for duty.  Tour guides who are preparing for their return to active duty in the next day, few days, or the next week. 

Iran and Hamas’s goal on October 7 was to start a regional war.  They wanted the brutal murders, rapes, kidnapping and terror to create the chaos of a regional war.  They hoped that like Al Queda did with 9/11, they would be able to get America to respond, then getting other major powers involved as well.  When that failed, they wanted the death of their own people to be what would create this regional war.  Their ultimate goal was to create a war between Islam and the West.  To date they have failed.  Despite what we see on college campuses and in major cities, the governments have not responded with military action. 

Where they have succeeded is in making the people of Gaza the victim.  They make sure the people of Gaza die and then blame Israel.  They make sure the people of Gaza starve and blame Israel.  Even when the UN, an antisemitic organization who is no friend to Israel, reports that there is more than enough food being brought into Gaza, Hamas makes sure the people don’t get the food.  The news makes sure to highlight the latter and ignore the former.  UNRWA uses their offices, schools, medical clinics and hospitals as Hamas bases and the world ignores it. 

As we have seen in the past week, the leaders of Hamas in Gaza and some of the leaders of Hezbollah in Lebanon are being targeted.  Israel, despite the international criticism, is winning the war.  I believe the day will come when Sinwar will either come out of hiding with his hands up or will be killed.  The question that will be critical on that day is what will the world do?  The world that has been crying for the people of Gaza have two choices.  They can step in and help rebuild or they can pretend it is now ok and go back to hating Jews in quiet.  With the current world leadership, I am concerned they will do nothing, go quiet, and allow Iran and Qatar to be who funds the rebuilding.  They will continue to make the same mistake over and over again. 

The United States often calls the World War II veterans the Greatest Generation.   The more time I spend in Israel, the more I am convinced that for Israel, THIS is the Greatest Generation.  Talking with these 18–22-year-old IDF soldiers, those who have come back to serve in reserves, those who put their lives on hold because of the need of Israel for them to serve is incredible.  The sacrifices they make every single day is awe inspiring.  It makes me wish I was 30 years younger and could join them.  There is a political earthquake coming in Israel.  There is a rising political leadership that will take over and not accept the status quo.  They are not interested in repeating the mistakes of the past but rather learning from them and moving Israel forward.  I went to meet a young current MK at the Knesset this trip.  I was excited to talk with her, learn from her, and left wanting her to have a bigger role in the future.  I spent a few hours with a friend who has been in leadership for the past 7 years and is preparing to run for the Knesset in the next election.  Hearing her talk about the future of a 1 state solution, a 2-state solution, the Haredi serving in the military, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran inspired me with hope.  Unlike in the US where I wonder where our future leaders are and have real concerns as the far left and far right seem to continue to secure more and more strength and control, I am excited for Israel’s future.  This generation is truly putting the country first. They are putting the safety and security of all Israeli citizens first.  They want to move to a bright and united future.

Outside our hotel a few days after we arrived there was a large protest against the government, against Bibi, in favor of the Haredi serving in the military, and demanding the return of the hostages.  It was beautiful to watch.  People were joined together, peacefully advocating their positions.  There was no violence.  No arrests.  Nobody was a paid agitator.  There was a strong police presence, yet no laws were broken, and no arrests made.  The contrast between Israel and the United States was so strong. 

I traveled from the United States to Israel, from a supposed country at peace to a country at war, and yet it is Israel I feel most optimistic about long term.  As I head home, it is a strange feeling.  I’m more concerned about being attacked in the United States as a Jew than being less than a mile from Gaza, a war zone or in the lower Galilee, 20 kilometers from where Hezbollah was shooting rockets while we slept.  What does that say about us?  What does that say about our future?  What are we going to do to change this reality?

I have lots of questions but no answers.  I do know that Israel will win the war.  They will survive and thrive.  They have their greatest generation now. 

Am Yisrael Chai

Here are two podcasts by friends of mine that I recommend if you want to learn about Israel and Judaism

https://www.saulblinkoff.com/podcast