A recent video showing Israeli Druze crossing the border into Syria has reignited urgent conversations—both on the ground and across online Jewish forums—about the fate of Syria’s embattled Druze community. While some interpreted the act as a spontaneous protest or a humanitarian mission, others sensed something more profound: a cry of loyalty, identity, and shared fate.
The Druze community, indigenous to the Levant, maintains strongholds in Israel, Syria, and Lebanon. In Israel, Druze citizens have become a symbol of shared national identity, serving loyally in the IDF and contributing to civic life. But when their brothers across the border are threatened—particularly in the strategic village of Hader, near the Golan Heights—solidarity turns into action.
Israel has, in the past, vowed not to allow atrocities against Syrian Druze. In 2017, amid threats from jihadist groups, Israeli leaders stated unequivocally that the country would not stand by. Today, similar sentiment is rising again—this time not only from government corridors but also from grassroots voices within the Jewish diaspora.
As a rabbi ordained through the Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute (JSLI), I am proud to belong to a diverse international cohort of rabbis—from Iran, Peru, South Africa, and beyond. Though I am the only one from the former Soviet Union, I am not alone in my concern. In recent days, I have seen countless messages of support for the Druze community posted in Russian-speaking Jewish Facebook groups. Jews from Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, and across the Russian-speaking world are sharing prayers, articles, and calls to action.
What unites us is not only a memory of shared persecution but a recognition of shared values: loyalty, spiritual resilience, and a deep love for the land. The Druze are not only neighbors; they are our brothers in spirit—guardians of their ancestral land with a sacred bond to Israel.
Today, this solidarity must go beyond words. The State of Israel should continue to protect its Druze citizens and, when necessary, assist their kin across the border—not only with humanitarian aid, but if required, with coordinated security actions. But this responsibility does not rest on Israel alone. It is time for the United States and other Western allies to recognize the plight of Syria’s Druze and extend meaningful support.
Military protection of minorities—especially when they are at risk of ethnic cleansing—is not only moral, it is strategic. A secure Druze region near Israel’s border offers a vital buffer against Iranian proxies and extremist forces. More than that, it represents a rare opportunity for moral clarity in a region too often defined by ambiguity.
As Jewish leaders, rabbis, and thinkers, we must raise our voices. Let synagogues, organizations, and individuals not only pray, but advocate—for international protection, humanitarian corridors, and, if needed, defensive operations. The Druze stood with us. We must now stand with them.
Rabbi Moshe (Mikhail) Salita is a Brooklyn-based rabbi, legal scholar, and emerging animal chaplain whose work unites Jewish spirituality, international law, and compassion for all living beings.
He holds a Master’s in International Law (with honors) from the National University “Odesa Law Academy,” where he is currently a PhD student researching the restitution of unlawfully confiscated Jewish communal property in Soviet Ukraine. He also earned a Master’s in Library and Information Science from Pratt Institute (New York) and a Master’s in Education and Special Education from Touro University, with graduate certificates in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Bilingual Education.
Rabbi Salita is an ordained rabbi of the Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute (JSLI), a Doctor of Ministry student in Jewish Spirituality at the Graduate Theological Foundation, and an Animal Chaplain-in-Training with the Compassion Consortium in New York. His mission is to weave together justice, mercy, and creation care into one sacred path of Tikkun Olam — healing the moral and spiritual wounds of the world.
He serves as Executive Director of the Salita Foundation, originally founded by his brother, Dmitriy Salita — former WBF World Champion boxer, and inductee of both the New York Boxing Hall of Fame and the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Today, Rabbi Salita leads the Foundation toward a broader vision — uniting humanitarian ethics, environmental awareness, and cultural restitution.
Through the Foundation, he has launched the “Eco-Kosher Initiative,” a global program encouraging support for businesses and individuals who respect the environment, animals, and their communities. For him, “eco-kosher” is not limited to food — it is a moral philosophy of living in balance with creation, where sustainability and holiness walk hand in hand.
He is also devoted to preserving and gaining international recognition for the rare Israeli cat breed Kanaani — a living symbol of harmony between Jewish heritage and the natural world.
A descendant of Sruel ben Aharon Lekhtman, a Ruzhiner Hasid and brick-factory owner in Kitai-Gorod, Kamianets-Podilskyi — once a spiritual heart of the Ruzhin Hasidic movement in Tsarist-era Ukraine — Rabbi Salita continues his ancestor’s legacy of faith, integrity, and bridge-building. Sruel Lekhtman served as a close friend and estate manager for Pan Dembitsky, a Polish landowner remembered with respect in both Jewish and Ukrainian memory. Their friendship, crossing lines of faith and culture, remains a profound symbol of coexistence — especially meaningful for Ukraine today.
Although Rabbi Salita received Reform rabbinic education in the spirit of Jewish Universalism, he maintains a deep spiritual connection with Chabad, whose living Hasidic tradition unites intellect, compassion, and joy.
Following the example of the prophets — from Adam, the first caretaker of creation, to King Solomon, who understood the language of animals, and to Rav Papa, the sage who spoke kindly of cats — Rabbi Salita teaches that true holiness is revealed through compassion for all living beings. His life’s work is to show that caring for animals and serving God are one and the same sacred breath.
