An Open Letter of Chizuk and Gratitude to Acheinu Bnai Yisrael in Israel
The following is an “Open Letter” of Chizuk and Appreciation to our brothers and sisters currently living in Israel
Dear Friends,
On behalf of our communities in the diaspora, we thank you profusely for your brave and courageous role in defending and protecting Israel, its people and by extension, all of us living in the diaspora.
Your unwavering and tireless commitment to build and protect our precious country and biblical homeland is beyond appreciated. It represents an unparalleled level of chesed yisrael and ahavat yisrael deeply anchored and rooted in our history and common destiny.
Your presence in Israel ensures that Eretz HaKedusha is blessed by HaShem with continued strength and resilience.Whether you made aliya recently, years ago or were born in Israel, our heartfelt gratitude is extended to you and to your families and friends for sacrificing so much in order to live and defend our precious homeland.
It is so difficult and challenging for most us living in the diaspora to even begin to imagine the continued pain, anguish and isolation you feel and experience on a daily basis – all magnified and exacerbated by the tremendous uncertainty you and we feel about the future.
Since the tragedy of October 7th, we have been mitpallel to HaShem for the release of the precious hostages, for the welfare of IDF heroes currently fighting on several fronts and battlefields; for the injured and infirmed now recuperating or holding on to life in Israeli hospitals; and for the families who lost loved ones. Please know that your pain is our pain; your loss is our loss; your anguish is our anguish; and your tears are our tears.
As you send your family members off to fight an existential battle for Israel’s survival, and by extension all of world jewry, we pray for their healthy wellbeing and safe return.
Although it is not a consolation or a totally fair comparison, as you fight an existential battle for Israel’s survival, we in galut are confronting increased levels of ugly and violent Jew- hatred, and antisemitism unparalleled since the Holocaust.
These past several weeks are examples of the horrifying challenges we confront in our own backyards. These domestic concerns are exacerbated as our attention continuously shifts between antisemitism at home and increased missile and drone launches into central Israel cities and neighborhoods.
But friends, please know that as you fight and do battle in eretz yisrael, we will continue to do our part by supporting Israel unconditionally.
Yes, these harsh and daunting realities are connected but are also worlds apart.
Antisemitism, Jew-hatred and anti-Israel violence have no place in our world. It unfortunately has no boundaries and it must be challenged, confronted and eradicated no matter where it raises its ugly head.
Please know that we are one family and inseparable partners in fighting the evil that is committed to the complete destruction and annihilation of our people – in Israel and throughout the globe.
As a people committed and connected to a common destiny and a common enemy, we must ask ourselves, when will this madness end? And, how will it end?
Only HaShem knows.
After all said and done, the significance of Eretz Yisrael in our lives is a formidable driving force for all of us living in the diaspora. Our strong bond with you provides us in the United State and throughout the world with a profound sense of purpose and meaning. It is a bond like no other people and like no other nation.
In the best of all worlds, we in the diaspora would be living in Israel together with you, as one strong people, one family, one community and one nation. But, as we know, many challenges and responsibilities make that reality difficult and challenging. We nevertheless all have our dreams and aspirations that one day soon we will all be living together in peace as one family in a rebuilt Yerushalayim.
Many of our friends, colleagues and relatives strongly encourage those of us living in the diaspora to make aliya “before it is too late.” These requests ring loud and clear in our minds and hearts – especially for those who survived the horrors of the holocaust.
It is always reassuring and comforting, from a psychological perspective, to know that we living in the States are only about a 12 hour plane trip to the beautiful shores of Israel. This reality is unlike prior generations who only dreamt about visiting or living in Israel.
Friends, as I write this letter of chizIuk and gratitude to you in Israel, we are all faced with continued uncertainty. This uncertainty includes the status of the hostages, a potential ceasefire deal with Hamas, a pending US/Iran nuclear agreement and the complete elimination of violent Jew-hatred and antisemitic firestorms now sweeping the globe.
In the final analysis, one reality remains unquestionable…and that is our uncertainty about the future and how our future will always be eclipsed by our deep, heartfelt and profound bitacchon and emunah in HaShem; and by our strong everlasting and iron-cld bond and relationship to am yisrael, eretz yisrael and medinat yisrael.
Throughout our history bnai yisrael remained resolute and resilient. Whether it was when Yehoshua conquered Yericho, when we did battle with the armies of the Amalek, or when we fought furiously for our survival through the nine wars since 1948, between Israel and its surrounding Arab neighbors.
We were victorious and succeeded for one reason and for one reason only…. our determination which is inspired, led and protected B’yad HaShem.
Whether we are considered a “start-up nation’, or our biblical homeland, Israel will always be protected by HaShem. Our only commitment or obligation in this regard is for us to engage in continued ahavat yisrael, acts of chesed and mitzvot and uncompromising achdut.
As I conclude this open letter, please know that our hearts are with you, we support you and we are mitpallel to HaShem that he continue protect you and acheinu bnai ysrael. Also. please know that although this letter is intended to provide you with chizuk and deep gratitude, writing it also provides us with a continued reaffirmation regarding or commitment, dedication, and unswerving love for Am Yisael
May you and your families be blessed with tremendous bracha and may we all merit to experience a strong, vibrant and peaceful Israel with achdut and through the rebuilding of Yerushalayim.
With Bracha, Shalom, Achdut and B’sorot Tovot
