Rabbi Sacks’s daughter in an emotional video: 'Despair is not a Jewish emotion'

In a heartfelt address, Sacks reflected on the recent terrorist attacks in Israel and pondered what her father would have said about the ongoing challenges.

Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: 'His output was astonishing and we were the beneficiaries.' (photo credit: EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT/FLICKR)
Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: 'His output was astonishing and we were the beneficiaries.'
(photo credit: EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT/FLICKR)

Just one month after the October 7 massacre by Hamas, content creator Daniel Edry has channeled the emotional impact of those events into a video that echoes a message of unity delivered by Gila Sacks, the daughter of the late renowned British chief rabbi, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. Gila Sacks recently delivered a powerful speech at Carnegie Hall in New York, offering hope and guidance to Jewish communities worldwide amid the complex reality in Israel.

In a heartfelt address, Sacks reflected on the recent terrorist attacks in Israel and pondered what her father would have said about the ongoing challenges. She shared her father's two essential messages with a global audience.

Gila Sacks

Antisemitism is not a given

Firstly, Sacks emphasized that her father would have discouraged accepting the notion that the world is destined to see the Jewish people as a perpetual target. "We must not accept this," she declared. Instead, she stressed the importance of protesting and raising one's voice against injustice. "This is not the way the world is meant to be, and we will constantly call that out," she affirmed.

Secondly, Sacks echoed her father's teachings on hope and resilience. "Despair is not a Jewish emotion," she noted, quoting her father's words. She urged listeners not to forget the enduring hope and purpose of the Jewish people, emphasizing that the challenges faced by Israel are part of a larger task. "We must find the strength to hope and not to despair," she said.

Sacks concluded by reminding her audience that standing up for justice and hope is not just for the benefit of the Jewish people but for humanity as a whole. "Today more than ever," she stated, "we must stand tall and stay true to why we are here." 

 SOLDIERS DANCE at a concert by singer Idan Raichel at an army base in the South, last month. In these days of trauma and war there may be room for optimism, says the writer. (credit: CHEN SCHIMMEL/FLASH90)
SOLDIERS DANCE at a concert by singer Idan Raichel at an army base in the South, last month. In these days of trauma and war there may be room for optimism, says the writer. (credit: CHEN SCHIMMEL/FLASH90)