A common thread stretches between the hearts of all of us here in Israel and the hearts of Jews around the world. It stretches between the immense pain I felt when I came to console Rabbi Yitzhak Biton, who lost his three children in an Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh, and the deep sorrow I heard from The Jewish Agency for Israel’s shlichim (Israeli emissaries) in Michigan following the shooting and vehicle-ramming attack on Temple Israel north of Detroit.
It is a thread of shared destiny. In Israel, as we try to maintain a semblance of our daily routine between alerts and sirens, many Jews across the globe who have lived in their communities for decades and centuries are also being threatened. They are persecuted simply because of their Jewish identity. They are targets of severe antisemitism.
As Israelis – while we endure relentless missile attacks, while our heroic pilots fly over the skies of Tehran in impressive coordination with the US military, and while our brave soldiers are deployed across all fronts – we must also not ignore the arena of world Jewry.
In the span of just one week, there were shootings at three synagogues in Canada, an explosive device detonated at the entrance of a synagogue in Belgium, explosions at a school and a synagogue in Amsterdam, and the attack in Michigan. These events are all rooted in antisemitism and hatred.
The name “Temple Israel,” in and of itself, sends us a powerful reminder. The miracle of the modern State of Israel’s establishment in 1948 marked the realization of the vision of the Ingathering of the Exiles (known in Hebrew as Kibbutz Galuyot) – a dream that was 2,000 years in the making. Today, that miracle continues to unite all our hearts. Israel is the home of every Jew, wherever they may be. It is also the home that is now being tested by a tangible and existential threat.
From Israel to world Jewry, our shared destiny is expressed through moving events and tremendous mobilization alongside pain and loss. The thread of shared destiny connects Jewish communities around the world to the State of Israel. The Jewish heart trembles, like a quiet prayer repeated again and again: “If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill; let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth.”
After the attack on Temple Israel, the local Jewish community received a heartfelt letter from three regional leaders based in the Central Galilee who are part of the Jewish Federation of Detroit’s Partnership2Gether (P2G) relationship with Migdal Ha’emek, Nof Hagalil (Upper Nazareth), and the Jezreel Valley.
Three Michigan cities (Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Grand Rapids) participate in this partnership through P2G – The Jewish Agency’s network, which fosters the development of deep connections between communities in Israel and around the Jewish world. In this instance, the letter from the Central Galilee to Michigan emphasized the special bonds between the Israeli and global Jewish people that make us one family, despite the geographic distance between us.
The people of the Galilee, who themselves are experiencing missile attacks and security threats, paused for a moment from their daily challenges to express solidarity with a Jewish community across the ocean that had experienced antisemitic hatred. This was a powerful expression of mutual responsibility, care, and unconditional love.
Financial assistance to those affected by Iranian missile attacks
Simultaneously, world Jewry’s partnership is felt on the ground in Israel. At The Jewish Agency, we recently launched the Roaring Lion Fund – an emergency relief initiative that provides immediate financial assistance and long-term emotional support to victims of the Iranian missile attacks.
This fund would not be possible without generous contributions from Jews and Jewish organizations in North America and worldwide. It reflects the solidarity of global Jewish communities with the people of Israel during this complex and challenging security situation.
Ultimately, the Roaring Lion Fund is much more than financial aid. It is an embodiment of love and of the Jewish spirit.
I spoke with Jewish Agency emissaries in Detroit just hours after the attack on Temple Israel. It was impossible not to feel their immense inner strength and their deep identification with their community. These young leaders – our shlichim – give us hope for the vibrancy of the next generation. It is a generation that is poised to serve as a bridge, connecting world Jewry across any distance.
The thread of shared destiny will continue to connect Jewish hearts around the world. It is a thread that gives us powers beyond our collective imagination.
The writer, a major-general in the reserves, is chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel.