I recently spent just under a week in Israel, primarily to participate in the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) Board of Governors meetings alongside my fellow JAFI and Federation Board member, Michael Milch. This was my first visit since the release of the living hostages and I immediately sensed that the mood in Israel had shifted.
Upon arriving at Ben Gurion Airport and walking down the ramp toward the exit—where just two years ago the walls were plastered with posters of the missing hostages—I was struck to see only a handful remaining, those who we now know are no longer alive.
Jerusalem was vibrant and bustling. I visited the construction site of the new Pardes Institute headquarters, and while their progress was impressive, I was equally amazed by the sheer scale of development happening across the city. The Talpiot neighborhood is being transformed through a comprehensive redevelopment plan, and the streets are full of road closures to accommodate new light rail lines and an extension of the Tel Aviv train. The energy and growth in the capital are undeniable.
Yet, that prosperity is not felt equally across the country. As part of our JAFI meetings, we traveled north to Kiryat Shemona and Metula—two of Israel’s northernmost communities, surrounded by Lebanon and Syria—to witness the Jewish Agency’s work firsthand. While 95% of residents in the Western Negev (the Gaza Envelope) have returned home since October 7, 2023, only 75% have returned in the north, and just 38% in Metula.
We heard many reasons why, including that families evacuated from the north discovered aspects of life elsewhere that are often lacking in Israel’s periphery—better educational opportunities, more cultural offerings and broader infrastructure. Israel now faces a major challenge: how to encourage families to return and rebuild the north.
Our final day was spent visiting our Partnership2Gether communities in Karmiel and Misgav. One of the most powerful moments came when we joined the Mayor of Karmiel at a newly dedicated memorial in a city park, honoring the residents who were murdered at the Nova Dance Festival. The memorial is both beautiful and deeply moving, with each victim’s name engraved. What touched me most was the hope that this site will become a place of life and celebration. It includes a sound system that can play both soft, reflective music and the same dance music that filled the air on October 6 and 7 at Nova. The theme is simple yet profound: “They are still dancing.” Israelis continue to find extraordinary ways to remember and to live.
At the closing plenary of the JAFI Board of Governors meeting, we heard from Rabbi Doron Perez, a Jewish Agency board member who may soon take on a major leadership role within the World Zionist Organization. Rabbi Perez spoke passionately about the urgent need for Jewish unity. He connected the weekly Torah portion to his personal tragedy—the death of his son, Captain Daniel Perez, who was killed on October 7 and whose body was taken into Gaza. Just two and a half weeks ago, Daniel’s remains were finally returned to Israel.
When I first heard that the bodies of the hostages were being recovered, I felt a mix of relief and even a small measure of comfort, knowing families might finally have closure. But Rabbi Perez said something that I have not been able to forget:
“There is no joy in burying a child a second time.”
Israel has changed profoundly since my first visit after the war in late October 2023. Our continued support—whether through financial aid for terror victims, trauma counseling, rebuilding the kibbutzim in the south and communities in the north or small business loans that leverage $21 for every $1 we contribute—is already making a difference.
I’ll close with the words of my United Airlines pilot as we landed last Thursday:
Am Yisrael Chai—The People of Israel Live!
Shabbat Shalom