Your Daily Phil: U.S. Jewish community mourns slain American-Israeli hostage Omer Neutra
Good Wednesday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on a new Anti-Defamation League study finding antisemitic and anti-Israel discrimination in employment, and feature an opinion piece by Rabbi Jonathan Leener about combining innovation with a back-to-basics approach to making the synagogue a center of community-building and Jewish life. Also in this newsletter: Gary Lalhruaikima Zolat, Eboo Patel and Miriam Heller. We’ll start with the funeral of American-Israeli hostage Omer Neutra.
In the same sanctuary where Omer Neutra was bar mitzvahed less than a decade ago, a standing-room-only crowd of over 1,000 people packed the pews at the Midway Jewish Center in Syosset, N.Y., on Tuesday morning for Neutra’s memorial service, reports Haley Cohen for eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider.
The 21-year-old Long Island native, an IDF tank commander, was among the first soldiers to respond to the Oct. 7 attack, serving near the community of Kibbutz Nahal Oz. He was thought to have been captured alive in the attacks and taken into the Gaza Strip. In the 14 months since, Neutra’s parents mounted a determined, emotion-laden effort to get their “lone soldier” son released — including speaking at the Republican National Convention in July. But their tireless fight came to an end on Monday when Israel’s military announced that it had determined that Neutra was killed on Oct. 7, and his body taken to Gaza, where it remains.
Eulogies were delivered by Midway Jewish Center’s Rabbi Joel Levenson and Cantor Adam Frei; Neutra’s friends Alyssa Mendelowitz and Hayden Roth; friends of the Neutra family, Iona Gar, Smadar Chen and Rachel Cronin; and Neutra’s parents, Ronen and Orna, and his brother Daniel.
“We envisioned images of your reunion, focusing on doing, on our fight for your release and for some clarity in the face of the unknown. And now things are clear, but not as we hoped,” Orna said, referring to Neutra as her “strong, 6-foot-2-inch, big, smiley son.”
“I felt so small in your powerful hugs,” Orna said. Daniel, dressed in his brother’s jacket, said that he would “have to grow old without him by my side,” noting that Neutra was his “best friend.”
During Ronen and Orna Neutra’s advocacy on behalf of their son, the couple formed a close bond with Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, another young Israeli-American dual citizen taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 — and murdered after almost a year in captivity. After Goldberg-Polin was killed at the end of August, Ronen Neutra told JI at a vigil in New York City that he stands with the Goldberg-Polins “in this difficult time.” The support is mutual, it appeared on Tuesday, as the Goldberg-Polins sat next to the Neutras at Omer’s funeral, while Rachel and Orna held hands.
Neutra spent his youth within the folds of the Conservative movement and its institutions, studying at Solomon Schechter School of Long Island, attending Young Judaea’s Sprout Lake in the summers, working as a lifeguard at Ramah’s Nyack camp and being active in the United Synagogue Youth, eventually becoming the president of its Metropolitan New York (METNY) region.
With this background, for the past 14 months, and now in his death, Neutra represented someone that Conservative Jews could connect with personally based on shared experiences, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim.
“It’s indescribable to read eulogies that feel as though they could be written about yourself,” Rabbi Jordan David Soffer, the head of school at Striar Hebrew Academy in Sharon, Mass., wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday. “Summers at Sprout Lake. School years at Schechter. METNY President. Nyack Staff. Years in Israel. Though our threads may never have passed, they relied on each other, fundamentally.”
Julie Marder, senior director of USY, said that Neutra’s death had been felt deeply throughout the Conservative youth group. This year, both staff and teens throughout USY have incorporated Neutra’s story into programming — an empty chair was left for him to recognize his absence at conventions, a prayer for the hostages was said before programs and webinars, and many of his USY peers and friends delivered speeches about him this past year, she told eJP. Now, Marder said, the organization is grappling with how to keep his memory alive.
“This kind of stopped us in our tracks,” she told eJP. “We remembered him while he was being held captive, and we had the hopes that he was still alive. How do we take that essence and the memory of him and commemorate it through USY?”
At his memorial service, in interviews and across social media, Neutra has been remembered as kindhearted, committed to the Jewish people, confident, inclusive, a natural leader and a smiley goofball.
“Omer truly embodies all of the Jewish values that a parent would want their child to encompass,” said Alyssa Mendelowitz, a SSLI classmate and lifelong friend of Neutra’s, in her speech at Tuesday’s memorial. “The values that Schechter, USY, Ramah, Tel Yehuda, try to instill in children through these programs are all embodied in one person.”
Read the full report from Neutra’s funeral here and read the full report on the American Jewish community’s reactions here.
BANKING ON A MIRACLE
At N.Y. federation’s Wall Street Dinner, Rachel Goldberg-Polin calls on financiers to use their power to aid hostages in Gaza
A sea of 1,700 black and blue suit-clad Wall Street professionals gathered in Manhattan’s Marriott Marquis Hotel on Monday night for UJA-Federation of New York’s Wall Street Dinner, an always high-grossing annual event that this year raised $55 million in pledges — a fundraising record. But the focus of the gala, which was held hours after the announcement that American-Israeli soldier Omer Neutra had been killed in the Oct. 7 attacks, was on the plight of the 101 hostages still being held in Gaza, reports eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim from the event. “I know that there are many in this room that have the ability to make this happen,” Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the mother of slain hostage Hersh, said in her keynote address to the room of Wall Street executives. “It might be that the only reason you do it is because it is righteous, it is holy. It is the singular most godly act you will ever do in your life to help these innocent and beloved souls who are languishing in Gaza.”
Use your power: Last year, UJA-Federation Board Chair Marc Rowan made headlines for halting donations to the University of Pennsylvania — his alma mater — in response to its handling of campus antisemitism. On Monday night, he doubled down on that stance, calling on Wall Street leaders to leverage their organizations’ voices and hiring power to disincentivize antisemitism. “It is our responsibility, it’s our job, it’s our challenge, to secure the future of the Jews and the future of Israel. Fundamentally, we need to pivot,” he said. “The Wall Street community is a very fortunate community. Many of you in this room are leaders. Raise your voices, charitable boards, school boards, boards of civic organizations. Remind those around you that antisemitism will not be tolerated.”
LABOR PAINS
New ADL study finds U.S. Jews, particularly Israelis, face rising job discrimination
Jewish Americans and Israeli Americans have a significantly harder time getting a first response from an employer when applying to jobs, compared to those with Western European-sounding names, according to new research published on Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League. The report highlighted that since the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks in Israel, Jews in America may be missing out on job opportunities “just because of their identity,” reports Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen.
Proving a pattern: Bryan Tomlin, a leading labor economist who conducted the study, found that Jewish American job candidates needed to send 24% more applications to receive the same number of positive first responses from prospective employers as Americans with Western European backgrounds; Israeli Americans — who were clearly marked as American citizens in the study — needed to send 39% more applications. “This study shows that Jewish and Israeli Americans may be missing out on job opportunities just because of their identity, not their qualifications,” Tomlin said in a statement. “Without the benefit of a study of this kind, it is difficult, if not impossible, to prove adverse treatment in the labor market based on one’s religion or cultural identity.”
Read the full report here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.
BUILDING COMMUNITY
From innovation to tradition: Rediscovering the power of the synagogue
“When I was finishing rabbinical school nearly a decade ago, I never could have imagined becoming a pulpit rabbi — and actually loving it,” writes Rabbi Jonathan Leener, rabbi of the Prospect Heights Shul in Brooklyn, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “At the time, I was focused on exploring innovations beyond the synagogue.”
A home base: “With memberships declining and synagogues closing, I saw the institution as a relic of the past. I believed the Jewish world needed something radically different to meaningfully engage Jews, leading me to co-found Base: a pluralistic rabbinate centered around the rabbinic home as the heart of Jewish life for young Jewish professionals.”
Down but not out: “Base has been and continues to be incredibly successful, but after five years in the pulpit I’ve come to realize that the synagogue is neither ‘dead,’ nor ‘cold,’ nor ‘boring.’ Instead, it is a timeless foundation of Jewish life — one that simply needs to be reclaimed, reimagined and reinvested in… While many factors can influence a synagogue’s success, focusing on the basics can yield extraordinary results, as they have for us. I’d like to share a few lessons we’ve learned in the hope that other communities can benefit as well.”
Worthy Reads
A Model of Commitment: In Tablet, Hillel Kuttler recounts the foods shared and stories told at the shiva for Gary Lalhruaikima Zolat, 21, an IDF staff sergeant and member of Israel’s Bnei Menashe community who was killed in Gaza. “He was the first soldier in the 4,000-member Indian Jewish community, known as Bnei Menashe, to be killed in Gaza or in Lebanon in the more than yearlong war… [His sister] Efrat, who’s now on reserve duty in the air force, said her brother’s army service was ‘his happiest’ time. ‘People taught him about life,’ she said. ‘This was when his life started to come together.’ Being in the IDF spurred Zolat to achieve, said his friend, Roni Ralte… The night before his death, he called his father Dagan… Zolat mentioned to his father that he had fallen and hurt his leg but could persevere. Parents know, though. A day or two before their call, Dagan said, he had a feeling that something ‘unfortunate’ would happen. And on the night of Nov. 11, he didn’t feel like indulging in his favorite late-night activity: watching soccer on television. Instead, he went to bed, but couldn’t sleep. His wife, Shaked, got up and entered her son’s room. Their doorbell rang. The parents answered it. [Zolat’s other sister] Tiferet was in the foyer with three army colleagues. They issued no words. “I said, ‘Gary fell,’” Dagan related. … At the funeral the next day, Dagan finished delivering his eulogy, then faced his son’s grave and saluted. Asked during our shiva conversation about his gesture, Dagan said the idea arose from the soldiers’ painful visit. ‘When I found out,’ he said, ‘I saluted in my heart.’” [Tablet]
For Them or For You?: In The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Eboo Patel recalls his first job preparing minority students for the GED and how it made him realize that progressive identity politics can backfire. “Feeling the need to make an impression, I gave an impassioned address about being a teacher who believed education should raise political consciousness and disrupt the systems of injustice oppressing every person of color in the room… Later that morning, a Puerto Rican student named Angel approached me… He thanked me for my passionate speech and then asked, somewhat gingerly, if anything I had said was going to help him get his GED… Angel had clearly seen my kind before and was smart enough to be suspicious. He was basically saying: Are you here to help me achieve my aspirations, or are you here to achieve your aspirations?… In reality, many statements white college graduates find racist are not viewed as such by ethnic minorities. For example, a Cato Institute study found that huge majorities of African Americans and Latinos agree with the statement, ‘Everyone can succeed in this society if they work hard enough.’ Just try saying that at a liberal foundation, advocacy organization, or faculty meeting and see how it goes. It makes me wonder, actually: Is it possible that an Ivy League graduate using the term ‘Latinx’ could actually be more off-putting to some Latinos than an insult comic calling Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage’? I’ve learned the hard way many times that people really don’t like being talked down to by those who live more comfortable lives than they do.” [ChronicleofPhilanthropy]
Around the Web
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a record $63.9 million in funding for physical security measures and cybersecurity at 336 organizations across New York at risk of being targeted by hate crimes…
Professional fundraising firms raised 17% of all donations in New York State in 2023, the lowest in five years, according to Attorney General Letitia James’ latest “Pennies For Charity” report…
Miriam Heller will replace Gil Graff who is retiring at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year as chief executive officer of BJE: Builders of Jewish Education in Los Angeles, starting July 2025…
Outgoing AIPAC CEO Howard Kohr was honored by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who thanked him for his lifetime service to Israel and the Jewish people with a certificate of appreciation and a pen decorated with a nano-chip containing the entire Hebrew Bible…
Melinda French Gates will match up to $1 million in gifts on GivingTuesday to Vote Mama Foundation, which supports mothers running for political office, and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, which advocates for people caring for others, as an incentive for others to participate in the annual nonprofit fundraising event…
The Home Depot Foundation has pledged a $10 million grant for NYU Langone Health (Langone Health) medical center to support access to emergency medical services in Brooklyn, N.Y., expanding the Home Depot Emergency Department at the hospital. The foundation previously donated $5 million to the hospital for veterans’ mental health services and $10 million for medical school scholarships for military veterans…
The Marcus Foundation donated $6 million to Florida Atlantic University’s Marcus Institute of Integrative Health to expand services, educational programs, and community wellness initiatives. The grant, made before Bernie Marcus’ death in November, brings the foundation’s total contributions to over $10 million…
The Associated Press examines what billionaires and their advisors say are the barriers to them donating more and faster…
Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County’s proposed 2025 budget, which includes a $21 million cut for its Department of Human Services, may negatively affect regional nonprofits, including Jewish organizations…
The Israeli Diaspora Affairs Ministry is advancing an effort to have the State of Israel formally recognize Jewish victims of antisemitism abroad, creating a special public committee to consider the types of victims who should be included. (Read eJP’s coverage of the initiative here)…
Longtime diplomat Morton Abramowitz, who served as president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace following ambassadorial postings in Turkey and Thailand, died on Friday at 91…
The funeral of Gladys Siegel, the mother of Israeli hostage Keith Siegel, was held on Sunday in Durham, N.C., after she died at 97, while her youngest son remains in Hamas captivity for 421 days…
Pic of the Day
Volunteers from the HaShomer HaChadash movement help northern Israeli apple farmer Moshe Weinstein harvest his crops on Kibbutz Dafna last Friday, shortly after a cease-fire deal was struck between Israel and the Hezbollah terrorist group.
Weinstein’s son, Omer, and four farm workers were killed in late October in a Hezbollah rocket strike. The volunteer day overlapped with the shloshim (the memorial service 30 days after someone is killed) for Omer.
“We welcomed [the volunteers] warmly. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay long, as the volunteer day coincided with the shloshim for my son. I greeted the volunteers before heading to the service,” Weinstein said in a statement. “We’re about two weeks away from finishing the harvest, and I warmly invite all Israelis to come and pick some fruit.”
Birthdays
Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, author of six books and winner of the 1980 National Book Award, A. Scott Berg…
Television director and producer, Dan Attias… Tony Sarif… Dermatologist in the Philadelphia area, Merle M. Bari Shulkin, MD… Founder and lead guide of the Adventure Rabbi program based in Boulder, Colo., she is the author of 11 books, Jamie Korngold… Fashion director and chief fashion critic at The New York Times since 2014, Vanessa Victoria Friedman… Publisher and founder of FlashReport on California politics and principal of the Fleischman Consulting Group, Jon Fleischman… Actor best known for playing Stuart Bloom on the CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” Kevin Sussman… Co-founder and co-chairman of Manhattan-based hedge fund Knighthead Capital Management, Ara D. Cohen… Screenwriter and producer, he co-created ABC’s “Once Upon a Time,” Adam Horowitz… Principal at Proxima Media and founder of Relativity Media, Ryan Kavanaugh (family name was Konitz)… Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (D-OH), Gregory John Landsman… Childhood chess prodigy, martial arts competitor and author, the film “Searching for Bobby Fischer” is based on his early life, Joshua Waitzkin… Born in Ramat Gan, now living in New Jersey, Grammy Award-winning violinist, Miri Ben-Ari… Israeli composer of stage works, orchestral works, ensemble works and classical music, Amir Shpilman… Comedian and former host of the ChangeUp baseball program for DAZN, one of his viral videos was “10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a Jew,” Scott Rogowsky… Assistant U.S. attorney in Manhattan, Sam Adelsberg… Former senior campaign director at The Hub Project, Sarah Baron… First round pick in the 2016 National Hockey League draft, he is a center for the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, Luke Kunin… Israeli fashion model, Sofia Mechetner…
