Beyond Division

As part of our outreach work in Denver, we regularly run trips to Israel. November 2023 was meant to be one of our signature Dad trips– a chance for fathers to explore their Jewish identity using Israel as a backdrop for personal growth and discovery. Then October 7th happened. The world as we knew it stopped.

As images of the atrocities filled our screens and the death toll mounted, Jewish communities around the world were paralyzed with grief and horror. Friends and family in Israel went from celebrating the holidays to attending funerals. Here in the US, we witnessed how instead of feeling supported by those around us we were witnessing rising antisemitism. College students found themselves afraid to show they were Jewish.

From the moment I heard the unfathomable news I felt an overwhelming, almost irrational pull to be in Israel. During those early dark days, that feeling only grew stronger and stronger. While our trip and all trips were obviously canceled and friends and family began flying their children back home from Israel, I reached out to my colleagues on the Aish group chats with a different proposal: instead of our planned father’s journey, what if we organized a solidarity mission focused on helping those in need in Israel? 

Within days, over 60 volunteers from across the US joined what would become one of the most profound experiences of my life – and ultimately led me to join the Aish Ha’am slate for the World Zionist Congress election. I believe we were the very first solidity mission to go to Israel with lay people after the outbreak of the war.

Among the many soul-shaking encounters one of the most profound was meeting Dana Cohen at a hotel housing evacuees from communities near Gaza. Her husband, Aviad Gad Ben Osher, had just been elected as the leader of their community before he was killed defending a neighboring kibbutz, Pri Gan, from terrorists. Through tears, she shared how her “gorgeous and funny” husband died protecting people who, just one day earlier, might have been considered ideological opponents. On October 6, they were separated by religious and political differences. On October 7, they were family, and Aviad gave his life to save them.

“Please help me,” Dana pleaded with us, asking that her husband’s sacrifice not be in vain. Her words weren’t just about remembrance – they were a call to action for Jews everywhere to embrace genuine love and connection across our differences.

This message of unity wasn’t unique to Dana. Throughout Israel, I witnessed a profound transformation. The prevailing hashtag that greeted me on the screen of the ElAl flight at takeoff and was plastered all over buildings and billboards throughout the country was “Yachad n’natzayach” – together we will win. I saw it in action when meeting a group of IDF reservists in the West Bank who, just weeks before, had been on opposite sides of the judicial reform debates. Now, sharing close quarters and facing common challenges, they discovered that 85% of their viewpoints aligned. The remaining differences? They learned to disagree while maintaining their newfound brotherhood respectfully.

The unity felt in those early days of the war was indescribable and I knew that I needed to do everything in my power to help unite Jews throughout the world together.

The time for unity isn’t after the next crisis – it’s now. Your vote in the World Zionist Congress election is a chance to transform Dana’s message into action, to declare that we understand what she and so many others have sacrificed to teach us: we are strongest when we stand together. Let’s honor those who gave everything to protect their fellow Jews by creating a future where we don’t need tragedy to remind us that we are one family.

This is why I’m running with Aish Ha’am. At a time when antisemitism is surging worldwide and Jewish communities face unprecedented challenges, we cannot afford the luxury of division. The World Zionist Congress isn’t just another institution; it’s our parliament for world Jewry, and its decisions impact resources and priorities for the entire global Jewish community.

The challenges we face today – rampant antisemitism on college campuses, high rates of assimilation, disconnection from Jewish education, and lack of support for Israel – require more than individual responses. They demand collective action. Aish Ha’am’s focus on uniting the Jewish People, standing up against antisemitism, supporting Israel, and engaging EVERY Jew in the beauty and meaning of Judaism isn’t just a platform – it’s an existential necessity.

To my fellow Jewish Americans: this election is about more than policies or politics. It’s about having your voice heard. It is about honoring the legacy of people like Aviad, who gave his life protecting Jews regardless of their beliefs or backgrounds. It’s about ensuring that Dana’s plea for unity doesn’t go unanswered. Please join me in building a future where we don’t wait for crises to recognize our fundamental connection to each other.