Your Daily Phil: A new home for Nova festival survivors, victims’ families
Good Tuesday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on two new studies on the impact of the Oct. 7 attacks and 16 months of war on northern and southern Israel and on a new center that is being built for survivors and families of victims of the Nova festival massacre. We also detail a new legislative initiative to keep antisemitism out of ethnic studies in California. We feature an opinion piece by Whitney Weathers and Flo Low with advice for building authentic connections across differences, and one by Simone Lindenbaum Ziv and Chloe Zelkha about an initiative called “No Body Talk Week,” which starts tomorrow. Also in this newsletter: Rabbi David Sevi, Rachel Berezin and George Feldenkreis.
What We’re Watching
The Icar Collective, an Israeli mental health-focused think-and-do tank that launched in the wake of the Oct. 7 terror attacks, is hosting its first-ever conference in Tel Aviv today and tomorrow. If you’re there, say hi to eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross.
Former Israeli hostage Noa Argamani is slated to address the U.N. Security Council this morning. Argamani’s address marks the first time a former Israeli hostage has addressed the body since Oct. 7, 2023.
The State of Israel will hold an event marking the 40th anniversary of Operation Moses, which brought thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel through Sudan, and commemorating the deaths of the thousands who died en route to Sudan. Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Immigration Minister Ofir Sofer will attend the event. If you’re there, say hi to eJP’s Judith Sudilovsky.
Deborah Lipstadt, the former special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, and British lawyer Anthony Julius, who represented Lipstadt in a libel lawsuit brought by Holocaust denier David Irving, are speaking in conversation tonight with former Anti-Defamation League CEO Abe Foxman at the Streicker Center in Manhattan.
What You Should Know
Two recent reports detail the challenges facing communities in southern and northern Israel from the Oct. 7 terror attacks and the resulting 16 months of war, among them: ongoing displacement, lack of state funding for social services, unemployment and under-employment, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross.
In an interim report released yesterday, Israel’s State Comptroller’s Office — an internal state auditor — documented substantial delays in the government’s reconstruction efforts, with several of the hardest-hit communities in the Oct. 7 attacks — Beeri, Kfar Aza and Holit — not receiving temporary housing solutions according to the time frame laid out by the government as their kibbutzim are being rebuilt.
These delays meant that for the first few weeks of the school year, when residents of Holit were still living in hotels near the Dead Sea, the children of the community had to travel roughly 60 miles in order to attend the schools on Kibbutz Revivim, where they were meant to be temporarily housed. For residents of Beeri and Kfar Aza, since their homes were also not ready on Kibbutz Hatzerim and Kibbutz Ruhama, respectively, the families had to live in one-room housing units that were meant for older singles. The comptroller noted that this came at a time when those students most needed stability.
The state comptroller, Matanyahu Englman, also found that the temporary housing that was constructed for the residents of these communities is in many cases not up to code. In one case, a home on Kibbutz Hatzerim for people displaced from Beeri caught fire due to faulty electrical wiring.
The audit found that the government has yet to address the issues facing the town of Ofakim, one of the two larger communities that was attacked on Oct. 7, 2023. This is because the government determined that only communities located within seven kilometers (4.3 miles) of the Gaza border would be eligible for the full host of services provided by the reconstruction-focused Tekuma Authority, and Ofakim is located more than 12 miles from the border. As a result, the comptroller determined that “the city of Ofakim is struggling to provide social services to its residents after the events of Oct. 7.”
Similar issues exist for other communities that were affected by the Oct. 7 attacks, such as the town of Netivot, but the comptroller said the problem is more pronounced in Ofakim, which saw a large infiltration by terrorists and several residents killed and taken hostage. He noted that the government is aware of this issue, having passed resolutions on the subject, but has yet to create a policy to address it.
As any recent visitor to southern Israel can attest, areas around the site of the Nova music festival massacre and along the Route 232 highway have become impromptu, makeshift memorial sites, particularly the reinforced concrete bus stops where many people hid and were killed during the onslaught and the stacks of cars that were damaged in the attacks outside of Kibbutz Tekuma. The comptroller found that these private initiatives are potentially dangerous as they do not have the infrastructure necessary for large numbers of visitors. Englman called for the Prime Minister’s Office to create a committee to determine how to create local and national memorials to the Oct. 7 attacks “where the families of the murdered and the fallen can commemorate their loved ones.”
The Israel Democracy Institute released its own report today looking at the financial toll that displacement has taken on the Israelis who left their homes in northern and southern Israel. The survey — which the organization acknowledges had a limited sample size due to the relatively small number of evacuees — found that significant percentages of displaced Israelis have lost income since the Oct. 7 attacks. This is particularly true for displaced Israelis who own their own businesses. “Self-employed workers were hit much harder than salaried workers by the effects of the war: 77% of self-employed/freelance evacuees reported a drop in business activity, compared to just 28% of salaried evacuees who reported a reduction in work hours,” according to the report’s authors, Daphna Aviram-Nitzan and Omer Cohen.
“The fact that around 15 months since the outbreak of the war, a majority of self-employed/freelance evacuees are still reporting a decrease in the scale of their business activity due to the war highlights the urgent need to create a clear and ordered mechanism that will provide an immediate response to this population group during emergency situations such as wars, pandemics, and other extreme events that are beyond their control,” they wrote.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
N.Y. federation gifts $2 million to build center for survivors, families of victims of Nova massacre
The Tribe of Nova Association — representing the survivors and families of victims of the Oct. 7 massacre at the Nova music festival in southern Israel — will open a community center to provide services and support in Netanya, Israel, by the end of the year, following a $2 million donation from UJA-Federation of New York, the organizations announced yesterday, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim.
‘An enormous difference’: The UJA New York Nova House, projected to cost nearly $3 million, will provide rehabilitation, sports, cultural activities and workforce development to a community spanning an estimated 3,500 survivors and 2,500 immediate family members of the more than 400 people killed in the attack. “You see how much this community craves and benefits by being together,” Eric Goldstein, UJA-Federation’s CEO, told eJP. “This can make an enormous difference for a large group of people who experienced deep trauma. This is one of many, but an important way of supporting Israel in this critical moment.” According to Reef Peretz, chairman of the Tribe of Nova Foundation, the lack of a permanent location has made it difficult to expand the organization’s programming, which include community gatherings and healing workshops. “Since October 2023, we have operated in temporary spaces, but a permanent House is crucial for the long-term healing and recovery of our Nova survivors,” Peretz said in a statement.
COURSE CORRECTION
California lawmakers introduce bill to root out antisemitism in ethnic studies courses
A week after a California school district agreed to stop teaching ethnic studies courses amid accusations of antisemitism in the curriculum, a group of Democratic state lawmakers in Sacramento introduced legislation on Monday to provide greater scrutiny of the ethnic studies course that will soon be a graduation requirement for California students. The bill’s authors made clear that the measure is a response to antisemitic material appearing in ethnic studies courses in California public schools, reports Gabby Deutch for eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider.
Safety threat: “The lack of rigorous curriculum standards for ethnic studies has allowed groups with biased ideological agendas to peddle factually inaccurate and blatantly antisemitic curriculum to school districts, posing a threat to Jewish children’s safety,” said Democratic Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, one of the bill’s authors. “Antisemitism has only increased since the Oct. 7 attacks. We must ensure that ethnic studies has standards like we do for other core curriculum.”
Read the full report here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.
BEST PRACTICES
The art of engagement
“Our story sounds like the beginning of a joke: A Black Christian neurodivergent woman and an Ashkenazi Jewish female IDF captain walk into a (Zoom) room,” write Whitney Weathers and Flo Low in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “In a world where divisive narratives flourish, frustrating efforts to create authentic connection, we want to share five key principles that have fortified our partnership. We hope they inspire others to join us in forging ahead, disrupting racism and antisemitism through trust-based, humanizing interactions that safeguard the Black-Jewish relationship in America.”
How it all started: “Bamah, founded by Flo, was a finalist for UpStart’s UpSpring program. Bamah is a cultural dialogue and exchange organization that brings leading Israeli artists to HBCU (historically Black college and university) campuses. After Bamah was not selected for the final cohort, Flo requested feedback on her application. Whitney, Upstart’s managing director of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice, responded. The next day, Whitney joined Bamah’s board. Since then, we’ve spent countless hours in conversation and collaboration, evolving from correspondents to co-conspirators… Authentic connection starts with vulnerability. If Flo hadn’t pushed for difficult feedback, and if Whitney hadn’t been willing to share honest truths, our partnership wouldn’t exist. Instead of retreating from discomfort, we leaned into it and built an enduring relationship rooted in dialogue and trust. Vulnerability is where real magic happens.”
BEYOND THE SURFACE
‘No Body Talk Week’: Creating sacred space for our full selves
“The guidelines for National No Body Talk Week,” which starts tomorrow (Feb. 26), “are straightforward,” write Eden Village Camp’s Simone Lindenbaum Ziv and Chloe Zelkha in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “We take a break from commenting on appearance, whether those comments are positive, negative or neutral. What emerges in that space is nothing short of magical.”
Join the experience: “During No Body Talk Week, communities across North America will explore how this practice might transform their own spaces. We’re offering workshops for educators and parents, supporting young people in giving divrei Torah about their experiences and providing resources for families to have meaningful conversations about what it means to truly see each other. This is an invitation to experiment, not a prescription. We’re thrilled to be launching this initiative alongside partners from across the Jewish communal landscape — from youth movements to ritual spaces, educational institutions to social justice organizations. Together, we’re opening up a conversation and exploring what it takes to create Jewish spaces where everyone’s inherent dignity can shine through.”
Worthy Reads
We’re Coming for Hamas: In The Times of Israel, Dr. Qanta A. Ahmed calls Hamas, its accomplices and their actions from Oct. 7 onward “a stain” upon all Muslims. “Walking through devastated home after home in October 2023, I followed the footsteps of the dead. I moved slowly, methodically, examining the scenes of murder, torture, sexual violation and abduction. Later, I spent hours with Dr. Chen Kugel and Dr. Nurit Bulbit at Abu Kabir (Israel’s National Forensic Center in Jaffa) where I witnessed autopsies of the murdered, and, as a physician, examined the anatomy of lethal, genocidal Islamism… Hamas and its civilian participants are punishable for the worst crimes against humanity in Islam, which are also seen as crimes against our Maker. Those Muslims who support them are accomplices. I am not alone in this sentiment, clerics at the highest level of my faith share exactly my sentiments… Condemnation of Hamas by the leaders of Islam will gain momentum. These condemnations explicitly direct the Muslim world away from an Islamism that, until now, continually grows stronger. In the coming weeks as the Arab world meets the urgent task of a post-war Gaza, there will be increasing coordination not only to envision a government for Gaza without Hamas but to systematically deprive the Islamist machine of its lifeblood: Palestinian victimhood, Islamist antisemitism and cold, hard cash. While the Jewish nation, the Jewish people and the Bibas family might begin their unbearable grieving, the time for Hamas to meet its Maker has arrived. It will be the Muslim world that ensures this.” [TOI]
American Values: In The New York Times, Dina Nayeri — who came to the U.S. as a child in the 1980s, her family seeking asylum from Iran — reflects on America’s relationship with the refugee. “For me, to be civilized boils down to being willing to work against our own lesser interests in order to alleviate greater suffering, no matter the sufferer’s identity or relationship to us. It is a high standard, but it is not heroism, which is putting one’s own life in real danger for another. After World War II, a large group of lawmakers decided to codify this principle of humanitarian duty into international law. Nonrefoulement (from the French ‘fouler,’ meaning ‘to trample’) is the idea that vulnerable people, once arrived on safe shores, should never be sent back into danger. Put simply, it is the premise that the least we can do is not knowingly send someone out to die… This standard has eroded in America and across Europe. We’ve become baser, more self-serving, jealously guarding our spaces. These days, so much of our talk about migrants and refugees is about how much they do for our economies, for our communities and for our culture. But what about the sanctity of human life?… I don’t think, for meritorious people, this is a very difficult promise to keep, for our gatekeepers and for all of us: We don’t send wretched people back into danger. Even if it costs us money. And certainly not for some hypothetical fear for ourselves. We do this because we’re civilized, and born lucky, and life is the minimum we owe to our fellow man.” [NYTimes]
Skepticism vs. Cynicism: In his Substack newsletter “Moneyball Judaism,” Rabbi Joshua Rabin shares insights from Hope for Cynics, a new book by Stanford University psychology professor Jamil Zaki. “Zaki argues that the main difference between cynicism and skepticism is that cynicism is a ‘lack of faith in people,’ while skepticism is a ‘lack of faith in our assumptions.’ If you’ve ever met someone who always wants to analyze the quality of an idea, you’ve probably met a skeptic. If you’ve ever met someone who never wants to embrace even the best ideas because people can’t handle it, you’ve probably met a cynic. For organizations, this is a critical distinction. Zaki argues that ‘cynicism is not a radical worldview’ but ‘a tool of the status quo.’ If you believe people cannot change and your colleagues are doomed to a lifetime of incompetence, you may never attempt to share a more aspirational vision of the future. While this perspective may seem edgy, it often serves only to maintain the status quo and prevent meaningful change… To counter these temptations, Zaki argues that data can be a powerful tool in rejecting cynicism. When people see how others, in aggregate, feel about an issue, they may realize they are not alone in believing that change is possible. Rather than turning us into unthinking automatons, an evidence-based approach to our assumptions can inspire collective action and drive systemic change.” [MoneyballJudaism]
Word on the Street
Rabbi David Sevi was named the new chief rabbi of Turkey, following the death last month of Chief Rabbi Ishak Haleva…
The Greater Miami Jewish Federation raised $4.3 million at a gala event earlier this month…
Nechama, Israel ParaSport Center and Chai Lifeline are the three 2025 beneficiaries of Alpha Epsilon Pi’s Repair the World Fund…
Larry Sears and Sally Zlotnick Sears donated $1 million to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation…
The Anti-Defamation League has added the Revisionist Zionist Betar USA group to its list of extremist organizations…
Rachel Berezin has been named CEO of MyZuzah, which encourages Jewish identity and heritage by promoting putting a mezuzah on the front door of every Jewish home…
More than six dozen Washington-area rabbis signed onto a letter calling for the “accelerated” release of the remaining hostages in Gaza…
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert revealed the map for a two-state solution he had proposed to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in 2008, which would have created a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and on more than 94% of the West Bank…
Jason Holtzman, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, commended Swarthmore College’s suspension of Students for Justice in Palestine from operating on its campus after the group tried to take over a campus building Feb. 19…
George Feldenkreis, whose first job was tracking donors for a local Zionist organization in his hometown of Havana and who went on to found the Perry Ellis International clothing brand and become a major donor to Jewish and Zionist causes, died on Thursday at 89…
Pic of the Day
Mourners gather with Israeli flags this morning in front of the van carrying the body of Oded Lifshitz, whose remains were released from captivity in Gaza last week where they had been held since he was murdered in the Oct. 7 terror attacks, as the vehicle leaves the the morgue in Rishon Letzion, Israel, and heads to the cemetery in Kibbutz Nir Oz where he is being buried today.
Birthdays
Former U.S. ambassador to Israel, now vice chair at Blackstone, Tom Nides…
Former talk show host, Sally Jessy Raphael… Owner of both the MLB’s Chicago White Sox and the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, Jerry M. Reinsdorf… President of the Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore until 1986, then EVP of the UJA-Federation of New York until 1999, then the first-ever CEO of United Jewish Communities, Stephen Solender… Science and medicine reporter for The New York Times and author of six books, Gina Bari Kolata… Graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, formerly CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Steve Gutow… Jerusalem-based attorney and chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel, Marc Zell… Former minister of foreign affairs for Israel, he was chief of the general staff of the IDF until 2011, Gabi Ashkenazi… Opinion columnist for The New York Times since 2016, after nine years as the NYT’s editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal… Vice president of communications at CNN until 2022, Barbara Levin… Policy editor at The Bulwark, Mona Charen Parker… CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo from 2015 until 2024, now a senior advisor there, Rob Goldberg… Co-president of Paterson, NJ-based JNS-SmithChem, Michael F. Smith… Former mayor of Burlington, Vt., Miro Weinberger… Founder of “News Not Noise,” Jessica Sage Yellin… Vice president of global curation for Meta/Facebook, Anne Elise Kornblut… Co-founder of Singapore-based Alchemist Travel, Lauren Raps… Comedian, actress and writer, Chelsea Joy Handler… Actress best known for her roles in NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” and Fox’s “Boston Public,” Rashida Jones… Managing director of Covenant Wines in Berkeley, CA, Sagie Kleinlerer… Former assistant director at San Francisco-based EUQINOM Gallery, Lyla Rose Holdstein… Founding partner of Parallel Capital and board chair of the Holocaust Museum of Los Angeles, Guy Lipa… Actor best known for his role in Fox’s “Malcolm in the Middle,” Justin Berfield… Correspondent on CNN’s Media team, Hadas Gold… 2013 U.S. national figure skating champion, now a regional vice president at ProShares, Maxwell Theodore “Max” Aaron… Julie Goldman…
