This week, I’m handing the keyboard off to Brian Eglash, Senior Vice President & Chief Development Officer. Brian writes:

Shalom,

I returned last week from an extraordinarily moving Israel Solidarity Mission with a small group of committed Federation leadership. Debbie and Josh Resnick, Cindy Goodman-Leib and Scott Leib, Michele Rosenthal and I spent six intense days together, traveling the length of the country—from the Gaza Envelope in the South to our Partnership Region in Karmiel/Misgav in the North. At a time when very few American Jews are traveling to Israel, our purpose was clear: to show unwavering solidarity by physically showing up and to return home with stories of resilience, courage and hope. Based on the profound feedback from participants, I am confident we achieved exactly that.

I want to share just a few moments that left an indelible mark.

In the South, we spent time at Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, a Gaza-bordering community our Federation has committed to support in its rebuilding over the next three years. There, we met kibbutz member Clara Marman and her partner, Luis Har. Both were kidnapped on October 7, along with three other family members—and even the family dog. Clara was released in November 2023 with the other women (and the dog), while Luis was rescued 129 days later in a daring commando operation deep inside Gaza. Hearing them recount their time in captivity was both harrowing and inspiring. Their strength, grace and optimism in the face of unimaginable trauma were unforgettable.

Our Federation has invested $850,000 in rebuilding Nir Yitzhak—$750,000 over three years, plus an additional $100,000 from an anonymous donor. We visited the art therapy room established with our support, already providing critical healing for children and adults. We also met the head of security, who expressed heartfelt gratitude for the life-saving security equipment our community helped provide.

Later that day, we shared an intimate lunch with Major General Doron Almog, Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI – a core overseas partner) and one of the most decorated soldiers in Israel’s history. Many of you met him when he visited Pittsburgh in June. When he entered the restaurant—filled with young soldiers—every head turned. He spoke powerfully about JAFI’s work since October 7 supporting more than 200,000 internally displaced Israelis, assisting thousands of lone soldiers and responding to an unprecedented surge in PTSD and mental health needs. His leadership and moral clarity were deeply moving.

At the site of the Nova Festival, we met Shalev, a young man who survived the massacre thanks to the bravery of an Israeli Bedouin Muslim who saved him and six of his friends. Together, they now travel across Israel and around the world sharing their story—a profound testament to courage, humanity and the possibility of coexistence.

In Bat Yam, we met Dvir, whose apartment was directly hit by an Iranian ballistic missile during the June Iran–Israel conflict. He spoke about his survival and the immediate assistance he received from the Fund for Victims of Terror, which arrived within 48 hours with emergency cash support. Since October 7, this fund has assisted more than 13,000 civilians—nearly double the number it supported in its first 21 years combined. As a founding Federation of this fund, hearing Dvir’s gratitude brought its impact into sharp, human focus.

No Israel mission is complete without time in our Partnership2Gether region. In Karmiel/Misgav, we spent a full day with community leaders, mayors, educators and security professionals. We saw firsthand the mobile bomb shelters and other security enhancements that quite literally saved lives. Deputy Mayor Ahmad Swede, a Muslim Bedouin Arab responsible for protecting all regional schools, walked us through the extraordinary measures taken to keep every child safe. We also paid homage to the Pittsburgh/Karmiel/Misgav Promenade, where there is a beautiful memorial to the victims of the October 27, 2018 massacre.

We also visited Eshbal, a community of educators running a boarding school for some of Israel’s teens navigating difficult circumstances. In the early days of the war, they played a critical role in creating satellite schools for tens of thousands of displaced Israeli children. We ended the day with a joyful dinner alongside over 30 partners and friends from across the region—people who have become extended family to our Federation and Pittsburgh Jewish community.

Another deeply meaningful stop was Brothers for Life, an organization we proudly support that mirrors the work of the Wounded Warrior Project. Their center provides physical therapy, psychological support, community and renewed purpose to wounded combat veterans, while pairing them with newly injured soldiers just beginning their recovery. The impact on lives and futures is nothing short of transformative.

It is impossible to fully capture the emotion and power of this mission in words. For the first time in my last three war time visits, missile alerts were silent and hundreds of thousands of Israelis were not being called up to the reserves. Yet everywhere we went, we encountered extraordinary resilience, determination and hope.

Seeing firsthand how our Federation’s support is saving lives, rebuilding communities and restoring hope was profoundly inspiring. None of this would be possible without your dedication, commitment and generosity. I may have witnessed it in person, but the impact belongs to all of us.

As we enter the Shabbat of Chanukah, a holiday that began this year in the shadow of unspeakable tragedy—the senseless murder of innocent Jews simply for being Jewish—I am reminded that our response must not be fear or retreat. Instead, we must lean into our Jewish identity, each in our own way and live more openly and proudly as Jews, bringing even more light into a dark world. While my heart was in Israel last week, this week it is with our Jewish brothers and sisters in Sydney, Australia. We are one people, with one homeland, an ancient nation that has faced unimaginable challenges throughout history. Our ultimate response—and our greatest victory—is to be more Jewish and to pass that strength and pride to the next generation.

Please spread the light, do good and be proud.

Shabbat Shalom, Chag Orim Sameach and Am Yisrael Chai!