Opinion
CONSIDER THIS
Swap Israeli brass for Israeli bravery
A few years ago, I was trying to help a synagogue arrange for a Shabbat speaker. An upscale speakers agency sent me the name of newly retired Mossad chief Yossi Cohen. I remember being struck by two things: his steep speaking fee, and how little time had elapsed since he left office — that someone whose existence was supposed to be consumed with the sacred task of Israel’s security was ready to hit the private sector so soon after he completed his tenure in the holy of holies of Israel’s intelligence apparatus. (It was later reported that Cohen received $250,000 for a speaking tour in Europe.)
After the International Criminal Court in the Hague issued an arrest warrant for former Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant in November, his scheduled speaking appearance at Adas Israel in Washington, D.C. was canceled due to “security concerns.” Regardless of the reason for canceling Gallant’s talk, after the past year and a half of war, it is very clear who the new heroes of the Jewish people are: the everyday soldiers. As such, synagogues and Jewish institutions around the world should stop paying hefty speaking fees to decorated top brass and politicians and instead bring in — with full compensation — more and more Israeli soldiers.

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This is not ultimately about how much compensation this official or that official receives for speaking engagements abroad once they finish their service. It is about what we show we value most — valor, sacrifice and altruism. It is the soldiers who fought in the field, left their families and put their lives on the line to defend Israel, who we should be honoring most.
Practically speaking, it is a very bad habit of Israeli officials in the highest security echelons to already start eyeing lucrative engagements once that service is over. Giants like Mossad leader Isser Harel did not leave their post just to seek consulting contracts. If there was a need for the highest level of devotion to Israel’s security before Oct. 7, the security failures of that day scream the need for ever-higher levels of focus and diligence. This is compromised when top military brass are preoccupied with next steps for once they finish their service.
But even more important than the message the Jewish Diaspora is sending to Israel’s security establishment is the message we must send to our own communities.
Teaching in a Jewish day school in Manhattan, I remember soldiers who graduated from Israel’s elite Duvdevan unit visiting to speak with students about what they do to keep Israel safe. That raw encounter between American day school students and soldiers who often operate in the most hostile environments had a profound impact on both parties. Students got to see that those who put their lives on the line to defend Israel and its people are real people — kind, gentle and thoughtful individuals who can give an age-appropriate talk to a sixth grader — while the soldiers experienced the love and admiration Jews around the world have for the defenders of Israel. It was a transformative experience for all involved.
After a year in which hundreds of thousands of Israelis dropped everything at home to go and heroically defend their Israel — and thousands of Israelis abroad scrambled to airports around the world, sleeping on terminal floors and in airplane kitchens so they could go defend Israel — it is time for Jews around the world to honor our greatest heroes: brave “ordinary” soldiers.
Hosting politicians after Oct. 7, even hosting high-ranking generals, comes with debates and controversy. The Israelis who have fought so bravely over the past 15 months, by contrast, are less controversial figures and deserve the most honor. JCCs, synagogues, Jewish organizations, churches, museums — any institutions hosting pro-Israel events — should skip the fancy speaking fees and invite the brave rank-and-file Israeli soldiers to address audiences around the world. The selfless courage so many Israeli soldiers have shown, often even before they came to the battlefield — leaving families, businesses and lives behind to go defend Israel — will inspire everyone who hears them.
Rabbi Elchanan Poupko is an 11th-generation rabbi, teacher, author and the host of “The Jewish World” podcast. He is the author of hundreds of articles in three languages and several books.