From Crisis to Connection

For nearly two and a half years since the October 7th attacks, Israel has lived under the shadow of war. Now, Israelis are once again enduring a relentless reality of sirens, shelters, and uncertainty. Yet as the Iran war continues, a troubling trend has started to emerge within the Jewish world itself: a sense of growing accustomed, and even desensitized, to crisis.

Looking at the response among Americans—including in the Jewish community—the current war feels different from the immediate aftermath of October 7th or the confrontation with Iran in June 2025. From traditional news to social media, discussions are often focused on geopolitical dynamics and regional alliances. These are important issues. But amid that broader conversation, the daily experience of Israelis on the home front can fade from view.

That must not happen. Every family disrupted by this war deserves our attention and care, across world Jewry. From afar, sirens, bomb shelters, and evacuation notices suddenly sound like business as usual. But there is nothing routine about them. Each alert carries the same urgency, the same fear, and the same stakes for the people living through it.

Israel’s resilience is remarkable, and it continues to inspire the Jewish world. Israelis return to work, rebuild homes, comfort neighbors, and carry on with extraordinary strength. But resilience should never be mistaken for invulnerability. Behind that strength lies a profound human cost—emotional, physical, and communal—that requires continued support.

At The Jewish Agency for Israel, we witness that reality firsthand. Our teams are on the ground daily with communities across Israel and witness the toll of war. When missile fire damages homes or families lose loved ones, our response is immediate and compassionate. That is why we launched the Roaring Lion Fund, to provide emergency assistance to those whose lives have been upended. The fund delivers rapid financial support to individuals who have lost homes, suffered injuries, or are coping with profound personal loss, while also helping communities rebuild emotional resilience in the months and years ahead by offering services including individual support, workshops, and group therapy designed to strengthen long-term wellbeing.

At the same time, our work continues with the many vulnerable populations we serve. Tens of thousands of people across Israel rely on Jewish Agency programs—from elderly residents in Amigour senior housing to new immigrants building their lives in absorption centers. Our staff ensures that food reaches those who cannot safely leave their homes, that activities and respite programs take place, and that logistical support is available for those who must relocate to safer areas.

Assistance alone is not enough to ensure safe and resilient communities. If the crisis risks becoming background noise, the solution lies in strengthening a sense of connection across the Jewish world.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then the October 7th attacks, personal interaction between Israelis and world Jewry has been significantly reduced in recent years. Travel to Israel has slowed and at times, halted completely. Educational trips have been postponed. Community visits and exchanges that once brought people together have become less frequent. As those connections diminish, so does the day-to-day awareness of what Israelis are experiencing. Rebuilding that connection must be a central priority.

Programs such as Masa Israel Journey—which brings young Jews from around the world to live, study, and volunteer in Israel—are essential bridges between Israel and world Jewry. Initiatives like Campers2Gether, which fosters relationships between Israeli and North American Jewish youth through summer camp experiences, create bonds that last a lifetime. Meanwhile, the Jewish Agency’s global network of Shlichim (Israeli emissaries) and Shin-shinim (service year emissaries) bring the living story of Israel into Jewish communities everywhere.

These connections do more than educate. They humanize. When Jews across the globe know Israelis personally—when they have studied together, volunteered together, or shared meals and conversations—the headlines become personal. The resilience of Israel becomes the resilience of a worldwide Jewish family.

For me, this sense of shared responsibility is deeply personal. My parents survived the Holocaust. They lived in a time when the fate of the Jewish people often seemed to matter to very few in the world. Today, Israel represents not only security, but dignity and collective strength for Jews everywhere.

But with that comes responsibility. Israel’s resilience gives the Jewish people resilience. Its existence strengthens Jewish communities in the face of rising antisemitism. That means the Israel-world Jewry relationship cannot be passive. It must be actively engaged and deeply connected.

We cannot allow fatigue to replace solidarity. The longer the crisis continues, the more intentional we must be in maintaining and growing our awareness and support.

The story of the Jewish people has always been one of connection across distance and adversity. In this moment, as Israel continues to face profound challenges, our task is clear: to transform crisis into connection.