Your Daily Phil: In missile-struck Tamra, leaders look to ‘cultivate hope’ from pain
Good Friday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we cover a visit by Jewish Agency Chair Doron Almog to the Arab Israeli village of Tamra, where three women and a girl were killed in an Iranian attack. We report on a planned emergency lobbying mission to Washington by Jewish leaders, and profile Rabbi Joe Wolfson and his community of volunteers in Tel Aviv. We feature an opinion piece by Shira Hutt about Jewish Federations of North America’s strategic response to the escalation of violent antisemitism in the United States; one by Rabbi Noam Raucher reimagining the minyan as a vehicle for meaningful connection between isolated peers in a lonely world; and another by Jacob Schimmel about the impossible reality facing Israelis today. Also in this issue: Hillel Goldberg, Josh Kesselman and Edan Alexander.
Shabbat shalom!
| For less-distracted reading over the weekend, browse this week’s edition of The Weekly Print, a curated print-friendly PDF featuring a selection of recent eJewishPhilanthropy and Jewish Insider stories, including: How a Mediterranean vacation destination for Israelis turned into a displaced persons hub; War with Iran strikes a major blow to the already struggling Israel educational travel field; and As Israel-Iran war breaks out, JFN’s Andrés Spokoiny to funders: ‘Pace yourself’. Print the latest edition here. |
What We’re Watching
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s Anna Borshchevskaya, Michael Knights, Farzin Nadimi and Assaf Orion are headlining a virtual event this afternoon focused on the Israel-Iran war.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH EJP’S JUDAH ARI GROSS
A drawer full of clothes, dangling off the rubble that once was the family’s wall. Elaborate plaster crown molding lying in chunks on the floor. Ornate stone pillars smashed to stumps. A car with its windows shattered, a chunk of concrete crushing its roof.
This is the wreckage of the Khatib family home in the northern Israeli village of Tamra, after an Iranian missile struck it and several surrounding houses on Saturday, killing Manar Abu al-Heija Khatib, 45, two of her daughters — Shada, 20, and Hala, 13 — and her sister-in-law, Manar Diab Khatib, 41, eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross reports from Tamra.
Jewish Agency Chair Doron Almog, along with other representatives from the group and partner organizations, visited the impact site on Thursday before traveling to a mourning gathering for the family at a community center in the city. There, Almog embraced Raja Khatib, the husband, father and brother-in-law of the slain women, and other members of the family, who sat and stood in a line at the front of an auditorium across from dozens of Tamra residents and visitors.
Addressing the mourners, Almog wished for something positive to come out of this intense tragedy. “We have come here to be in pain together with the Khatib family. We are in pain with you,” Almog said, noting his own family’s losses in terror attacks and wars. “There is great pain and loss here. And from that pain, I want us to cultivate partnership, to cultivate love, to cultivate hope.”
Speaking to eJP shortly afterward, Almog said he intended to pair the community with an American Jewish community — like the long-standing partnerships between Israeli and American towns, as well as the new connections that have been created following the Oct. 7 attacks between American communities and the individual kibbutzim and moshavim that were targeted by terrorists. He noted that similar partnerships have been forged between U.S. Jewish communities and Druze villages, such as one between MetroWest, N.J., and Horfeish.
“I believe that creating a partnership with a place like Tamra has immense significance in creating a better sense of coexistence,” Almog told eJP.
The Jewish Agency chairman’s hope for something positive to emerge from the Khatib family’s disaster was echoed by Tamra’s mayor, Musa Abu Rumi, who met with Almog and the other Jewish Agency representatives after the mourning event.
“I want something good to come from all of the evil that befell Tamra,” Abu Rumi said, noting that Jews and Arabs alike had already visited the village in solidarity after the attack.
Sitting in a circle of armchairs and couches, Abu Rumi laid out three practical areas where his village could use philanthropic assistance, with the implied hope that Almog could help procure it: the creation of a resilience center, purchase of heavy engineering equipment (which he said could have been used in the rescue efforts for the Khatib family), and upgraded emergency communication equipment.
Speaking to eJP on the sidelines after the meeting, Almo said that the Jewish Agency did not have the ability to provide for all of Tamra’s needs but that it would also help the village navigate the bureaucracy of obtaining government support. “We’ll do something, something small comparatively,” Almog said. “But there is a Jewish heart, a Jewish soul of mutual responsibility, and there are funds.”
LOBBYING EFFORT
Jewish leaders to head to DC to push White House, Congress to fight antisemitism, support Israel
Jewish leaders from across the United States are planning to make an “emergency” visit to Washington next week to push Congress and the White House to address rising antisemitism domestically and increase support for Israel in its war with Iran. The trip, set for Wednesday and Thursday, was organized by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, with representatives coming from nearly 100 Jewish communities and more than 30 Jewish organizations, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judah Ari Gross.
Time for action: “We are facing an unprecedented situation in American Jewish history where every Jewish institution and event is a potential target for antisemitic violence,” Eric Fingerhut, JFNA president and CEO, said in a statement. Last month, following the deadly terror attack outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, a coalition of 46 Jewish organizations called for a major increase in funding for the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program, from its current level of $274.5 million to $1 billion in light of the growing security costs associated with the rise in antisemitic attacks. William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents, stressed the need to increase support for Israel as it strikes Iranian nuclear and military facilities and sustains regular Iranian missile barrages. “The fight for Jewish security is not just domestic — it is global. We must continue pressing our legislators to stand with Israel and oppose a nuclear Iran,” Daroff said.
HERE TO HELP
In Tel Aviv, Rabbi Joe Wolfson leads a community of volunteers — ready at a WhatsApp’s notice
Last Friday afternoon, after Israel launched its strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, Rabbi Joe Wolfson received a phone call from his friend, a Druze officer in the IDF reserves, who was worried that he wouldn’t be ready for Shabbat, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Judith Sudilovsky. The officer had just been called up with several hundred soldiers under his command, who were deployed throughout the center of the country. As Shabbat approached, the troops were without the candles, challah and wine needed to properly mark the Sabbath, so the officer turned to his friend Wolfson for help. “That’s pretty special to have a non-Jewish Druze friend calling his Orthodox rabbi friend in order to make sure that the soldiers under his command get what they need for Shabbat,” said Wolfson, the rabbi and co-director of JLIC TLV, a Tel Aviv-based religious community and de facto volunteering operation made up primarily of young foreign-born residents of the city, either new immigrants or temporary visitors.
Closer to home: JLIC — the Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus — is an international initiative affiliated with the Orthodox Union that was initially established to support students on American college campuses. It has since expanded to include other young adults in Israel and has communities in Jerusalem, Herzliya, Givat Shmuel and Tel Aviv. Since Friday, the crisis has come closer to home as Iran and Israel continue to trade missile attacks. The war front no longer is just on the southern and northern borders but has come to the center of the country with JLIC TLV community members also sitting in safe rooms and bomb shelters under fire while they continue to provide meals for deployed soldiers in the area, and help within the community visiting shell-shocked elderly residents whose homes have been destroyed or damaged at the request of the city’s vice mayor, lending a supportive ear, cleaning up what can be cleaned and helping them to fill out insurance forms.
MEETING THE MOMENT
From Israel to our doorsteps: The urgent fight to protect Jewish life at home
“As Israel defends itself from Iran, the danger is not confined to the Middle East. We now live in a reality where global tensions can ignite local violence; and for American Jews, the threat has arrived on our doorstep,” writes Shira Hutt, executive vice president of Jewish Federations of North America, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “The recent attacks targeting Jews in Washington, D.C., and in Boulder, Colo., were not isolated acts of hate but part of a deeply alarming trend: the steady rise of antisemitism — more frequent, more brazen and more violent — across the United States. And we are responding.”
Security, advocacy and engagement: “The Jewish Federations of North America have mobilized around a comprehensive, three-part strategy to meet this moment. First, we’re strengthening local security infrastructure — an effort that began just a few years ago and now supports 130 communities across the continent. Second, we’re leading a bold national advocacy campaign to ensure the safety of Jewish institutions through robust public policy. And third, we’re deepening civic engagement to build powerful alliances and confront hate where it starts — in the halls of power, in the classroom and online… [N]ext week, more than 400 leaders representing nearly 100 federations and 40 other Jewish organizations, in coordination with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, will gather in Washington in a powerful demonstration of unity and resolve. We will advocate for the urgent policy priorities that can help keep our communities safe.”
SUPPORT SYSTEM
Parshat Shlach and the modern minyan: Making sacred space for men to show up for each other
“This week’s Torah portion, Shlach, tells the story of 12 men sent to scout the Promised Land. They’re leaders, chosen for their strength, wisdom and judgment. But when they return, 10 of them are overwhelmed,” writes Rabbi Noam Raucher, executive director of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “Those 10 men weren’t evil. They were afraid. More than that, they didn’t support each other in the moment that mattered. They didn’t hold each other up. They didn’t remind each other of their strength (nor of God’s promise to ensure their success). They didn’t form a minyan.”
A novel concept: “You’ve probably heard the word minyan used to describe the 10 people needed for a traditional prayer service. But I want to invite you to think about it differently — not as a religious obligation, but as a relational opportunity. What if a minyan was 10 men who show up, not for performance or perfection, but for presence? What if it was a space where you could be honest, even raw, about what you’re carrying? What if it wasn’t about prayer at all, but about truth-telling, friendship and emotional courage? Because here’s the truth: many of us are wandering our own wilderness… You might be navigating work stress, health struggles, a complicated marriage, a distant relationship with your kids or just a lingering sense that something’s missing. You might not have the space — or the people — to talk about any of it. You might not even know how. A modern minyan can be the circle where you find your footing again.”
ISRAELI VIGNETTE
No front, no rear — just a father and son in a country under fire
“It was around midnight when the sirens began. I was already standing by the safe room door, barefoot, heart racing, waiting for our children and grandchildren to rush in. The boom of Iron Dome intercepts overhead. The hush of a city bracing for impact. The surreal silence that follows. And then my phone rang. It was my son. He’s 21. A combat soldier. Stationed inside Khan Yunis. Gaza. … ‘Abba,’ he said, voice tight, ‘are you all right? Are you safe?’ There are moments in life that bend reality. That turn something you’ve always known, something that is meant to be unshakable, into something upside down. That phone call was one of them,” writes Jacob Schimmel, a father of three sons who have served in the war, in a personal reflection for eJewishPhilanthropy.
A dad’s duty: “What do you say in that moment? When your boy, who should be worrying about his own life, is worried about yours? I told him yes. Of course I told him yes. I said we were fine. I made my voice calm. I said what he needed me to say. Not because we weren’t safe at that moment, we were. But because I couldn’t give him the burden of our fear. He’s already carrying too much. All our sons are. And this is what being a parent in Israel now looks like. We send our children into war. We try to hold the pieces of home together. We pretend to be stronger than we are so that they can keep going. We say you’re doing great, and don’t worry about us, and we’re proud, even when we’re shaking.”
Worthy Reads
What’s in a Name?: In the Intermountain Jewish News, Hillel Goldberg critiques HIAS for changing its name in a way that obfuscates the role of a specifically Jewish organization in aiding immigrants from around the world. “Its Wikipedia entry is under ‘HIAS’ and notes that it was ‘founded’ as Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, but its name now is HIAS. By its very name — which identifies an organization and a mission more saliently than anything else — HIAS no longer raises a Jewish banner… One would think that if one’s current mission is to aid ‘immigrants of all religions, ethnicities, nationalities and backgrounds,’ one would find it valuable for all of these citizens of the world to know that the ‘Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society’ provided the aid. One would think that the good name of the Jewish people is worth disseminating. Here is a beautiful opportunity to counter anti-Semitism, but it is squandered behind the sterile, opaque ‘HIAS.’ If you don’t know HIAS’ history — and those immigrants ‘of all religions, ethnicities, etc.’ do not know its history — you would never know that ‘Hebrew’ is behind the chesed… It is not enough for Jews to do good, it is necessary for Jews to be seen doing good.” [IntermountainJewishNews]
First Vision, Then Strategy: In Blue Avocado, Marion Reinson recommends deeply understanding your organization’s goals before charting a path to meet them. “When imagining the future of a nonprofit organization, we often delve straight into strategic planning. We start thinking of all the possibilities of what our organization might look like in the future: All the programs we could add, all the ways we could expand and grow. However, before we go all the way down that rabbit hole, we must ask one crucial question: What does success look like?… Without a clear vision of success, organizations risk drifting aimlessly, with stakeholders pulling in different directions and wasting resources on unaligned initiatives. Furthermore, this envisioned success fuels inspiration and motivation. When teams have a clear understanding of what they are working toward together, they can become more engaged and committed. This vision sparks enthusiasm, fostering a collective purpose and driving innovation. It enables individuals to see the larger picture and understand their role in contributing to these clearly defined goals.” [Blue Avocado]
Word on the Street
The Jewish News of North California releases the third installment of its series on artificial intelligence and Judaism, looking at how Jewish organizations are — and aren’t – incorporating the technology…
Israel Hayom reports on a recent meeting between a leading Haredi figure, Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, and David Hager, one of the main backers of Netzah Yehuda, an organization that promotes the integration of Haredi soldiers into the Israeli military…
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg donated an additional $3.3 million to former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s mayoral campaign, bringing his total support up to $8.3 million…
A new study by the Hebrew University and Hadassah Medical Center in the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology finds that Israelis are in the midst of a period of severe sleep deprivation…
U.S. airline carriers, including United and American Airlines, are suspending service to parts of the Middle East, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, amid heightened tensions in the region around the Israel-Iran war…
Josh Kesselman, the founder of the Raw rolling paper company, purchased the cannabis magazine High Times this week for $3.5 million…
The Jewish Family Service of MetroWest (N.J.) raised more than $350,000 at its annual gala, its largest amount ever…
Rabbi Leo Dee, whose wife and two daughters were killed in a terror attack in the West Bank in 2023, announced his engagement to Aliza Teplitsky…
The New York Times examines the uniquely New Yorker qualities of philanthropist and cosmetics mogul Leonard Lauder, who died last Saturday at 92…
Pic of the Day
Edan Alexander, a former American Israeli hostage who was freed from captivity in Gaza last month, is seen yesterday returning to his hometown of Tenafly, N.J., as throngs of supporters cheer for him.
Birthdays
Jerusalem-born 2009 winner of the Nobel Prize for chemistry, she is the director of a research center at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Ada Yonath, celebrates her birthday on Sunday…
FRIDAY: Weston, Fla., resident, Harold Kurte… Former member of Knesset for the Ratz party, Ran Cohen… Owner of Schulman Small Business Services in Atlanta, Alan Schulman… Detroit-based pawnbroker, reality TV star, author and speaker, Leslie “Les” Gold… Chef, baker and author of eight books, she popularized sourdough and artisan breads in the U.S., Nancy Silverton… Host of “Bully Pulpit from Booksmart Studios,” Bob Garfield… Former assistant managing editor for politics at NBC News, now an adjunct professor at the University of Florida and FIU, Gregg Birnbaum… Federation leader, co-founder of Brilliant Detroit (helping children out of poverty) and of Riverstone Communities (it owns and operates over 80 manufactured housing communities in 12 states), James Bellinson… Execurity vice president of the Orthodox Union, Rabbi Moshe Hauer… Professor of Talmud at Yeshiva University and rabbi of Congregation Ohr HaTorah in Bergenfield, N.J., Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky… Israeli-American screenwriter, film director, writer and producer of 20 films, Boaz Yakin… Senior legal affairs reporter at Politico, Josh Gerstein… Governor of Pennsylvania, Joshua David Shapiro… Singer, songwriter and hazzan, he is a co-founder of the band Moshav, Yehuda Solomon… Senior program director of civic initiatives at The Teagle Foundation, Tamara Mann Tweel, Ph.D…. Israeli author of crime and thriller books, Mike Omer,… Journalist, blogger and EMT in New York City, Maggie Shnayerson… Execurity vice president of Moxie Strategies, Pearl Gabel… French-Israeli singer and songwriter, Amir Haddad… Deputy communications director in the Trump 45 White House, now head of external affairs at Standard Industries, Josh Raffel… Jennifer Bernstein… Photographer, producer and digital strategist, she is a supervising producer at HardPin, Sara Pearl Kenigsberg… Writer, director, comedian, YouTuber, podcaster and mental health advocate, Allison Beth Raskin… Team captain of Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague, John DiBartolomeo… Chief campus officer at Hillel Ontario, Beverley Shimansky… Director of advocacy initiatives at The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Jaime Reich…
SATURDAY: Former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Marjorie Margolies… Investment banker, he was the U.S. ambassador to El Salvador in the Bush 43 administration, Charles L. Glazer… Philanthropist, she is vice-chair of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Ingeborg Hanna Rennert… British businessman, co-founder with his brother Charles of advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, appointed to the House of Lords in 1996, Baron Maurice Saatchi… U.K. cabinet minister in both the Thatcher and Major governments, Sir Malcolm Leslie Rifkind… Retired creditors rights attorney in the Chicago area, David Stephen Miller… Retired managing editor and writer at The Washington Post for 33 years, now chief editor at The Reis Group, Peter Perl… Member of the Knesset since 2013 for the Yesh Atid party, Mickey Levy… Susan Gutman… CEO of Amir Development Company in Beverly Hills, Keenan L. Wolens… Punk rock singer and songwriter, known as the Gangsta Rabbi, Steve Lieberman… Washington Institute distinguished fellow and adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS, David Makovsky… Chief communications officer at Minerva University until last month, he is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, David L. Marcus… Co-founder and executive editor of Axios, Mike Allen… National education policy reporter for The Washington Post, Laura Meckler… Founder and leader of Beautifully Jewish, Tanya Rebecca Singer… Actor, singer and entrepreneur known for his work on Broadway, television, film and concerts, Aaron Scott Lazar… Journalist and author, Abigail Krauser Shrier… Public affairs consultant based in Manhattan, Sam Nunberg… Co-founder and former CEO of Kaggle, a data science platform acquired by Google in 2017, Anthony Goldbloom… Former member of the Knesset where she was the first-ever Druze woman, she then became a Jewish Agency shlicha to Washington, Gadeer Kamal Mreeh… Communications executive at Netflix, she was previously a communications officer at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Jacqueline (Jackie) Berkowitz… Chief of staff to the chairman and CEO at Saban Capital Group, Amitai Raziel… Award-winning Israeli classical pianist, Boris Giltburg… Executive director at Hunter Hillel, Merav Fine Braun… Editor for the global programming team at CNN, Madeleine Morgenstern… Singer-songwriter known as Jeryko, Yaniv Hoffman… Singer-songwriter and actor, known by his mononym Max, Maxwell George Schneider …
SUNDAY: A leading securities, corporate and M&A attorney, he is a founding partner of the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Martin Lipton… Washington-based vice president of Israel Aerospace Industries from 1969 until 2017, Marvin Klemow… Retired U.K. judge, who chaired high-profile hearings on ethics in the media, prompted by the 2011 News of the World phone hacking affair, Sir Brian Henry Leveson… Winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize for physics, he is a professor at Brown University, J. Michael Kosterlitz… Justice on Israel’s Supreme Court until 2014, she was previously the Israeli State Prosecutor for eight years, Edna Arbel… Member of the California State Assembly until 2022, now a judge on the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Richard Hershel Bloom… Partner at Shibolet & Co., one of Israel’s largest corporate law firms, Yoram Raved… AIPAC director for Greater Washington, Deborah Adler… Chair of the kindergarten and pre-K division of Bowman Ashe Elementary in Miami, Fla., Cynthia Rosenbluth Huss… Past president of the UJA-Federation of New York, Alisa Robbins Doctoroff… U.S. senator (D-CA), Adam Schiff… Former member of the Knesset for the Hatnuah and Zionist Union parties, Robert Tiviaev… Creator of the Android operating system which he sold to Google, Andy Rubin… Member of the Knesset for the Likud party, now serving as deputy prime minister and minister of justice, Yariv Gideon Levin… Writer, director and film producer, he is a two-time Israeli Academy Award winner and the founder of Hey Jude Productions, Dani Menkin… Senior vice president at Red Banyan PR, Kelcey Kintner… Program director at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Rafi Rone… The Economist‘s Israel correspondent and author of a biography of PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Anshel Pfeffer… Israeli jazz vocalist and composer, Julia Feldman… COO of TR Capital Management, Ahron Rosenthal… Retired MLB second baseman, he played for Team Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics and managed the team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Ian Kinsler… Russian-Israeli Internet entrepreneur, co-founder of Russia’s largest social network VK[dot]com and Selectel network centers, Lev Binzumovich Leviev… Baltimore-based endodontist, Jeffrey H. Gardyn, DDS… Israeli Muay Thai kick boxing champion, Ilya Grad… Israeli-born basketball player with 11 NBA seasons, Omri Casspi… Former outfielder for Team Israel in the 2016 World Baseball Classic qualifier round, now a real estate investor based in Nashville, Rhett Wiseman…
