Lifting the ‘October Clouds and Fog’: Where Do We Go From Here?

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It has been close to 14 months since the horrific and devastating October 7th  Hamas massacre of innocent Israeli women, men and children and the shocking explosion of global antisemitism and anti-Israel hatred now sweeping our communities.

Although Israel’s IDF has made significant progress in degrading and incapacitating Hamas’ military capacity and capability in the Gaza strip, dangerous hostilities and attacks by Hezbollah in the north continue to rain down on Israel unabadeted. This harsh reality does not include the sporadic attacks by the Houties and the brazen missile and drone launches towards Israel from Iran.

It is indeed a nes (miracle) that there were fewer casualties resulting from these brazon Iranian launches. And, the war in the north, exacerbated by the Iranian threat of additional retaliation still loom stronger than ever.

These realities do not include the unimaginable painful thoughts and devastating emotions regarding our dear hostages as acheinu bnai yisrael pray continuously to HaShem for their safe rescue or release.

Today’s matzav in Israel is described in a very meaningful, emotional and beautifully sensitive article authored by Rabbi Efrem Goldberg (Five Towns Jewish Times, November 8, 2024) entitled The House of Celebration and Houses of Mourning.

In the article, Rabbi Goldberg strikes a very personal and sensitive chord and reality when describing the juxtaposition of emotions which he felt and experienced, on his recent trip to Israel

It is truly a must read.

Since October 7th, there have been thousands of articles, posts, opinions and prognostications regarding “the day after”. Irrespective of the theories, forecasts or visions for the future, we are all being mitpallel  to HaShem that the future be realized soon and that true shalom supported by security and achdut, will once again be realized

It is obvious that I do not possess special insight into what awaits acheinu in Israel. At best, I can only hope and pray that we will all be fortunate to see, experience and celebrate a period of peace and strength, through deep bitachon, achdut and emunah.

So, what is next and Where Do We Go From Here ?

To add my two cents, (for what it’s worth), I would like to focus (in this blog), on what I humbly consider to be the top priorities for the State, county and land of eretz yisrael which we all so deeply love and cherish in our hearts and souls. It does not focus on the strategic military or geopolitical challenges facing Israel, but rather on the welfare of its citizens as well as the country’s evolving economic,  physical, social, educational and emotional needs.

As we have experienced and witnessed throughout history, a country that does not rehabilitate and care for its citizens in need, is one that will never be able to rebuild, grow or flourish.

As a country which has always been hypersensitive to the safety and welfare of its citizens and people, since its establishment in 1948,  the current war has unfortunately created  a variety of  significant and unprecedented daunting challenges and opportunities.

While the dark clouds and fog of October 7th begin to lift, albeit slowly, it is now time for Israel to enter into its next phase of the war – the complete annihilation of  Hamas and Hezbollah’s existential  threats and the safe rebuilding, reconstruction and strengthening of Israel as a country, homeland, and birthplace of Bnai Yisrael.

As just indicated, an integral challenge for rebuilding Israel, must include the physical, economic, emotional and psychological rehabilitation of those affected by the war. It must also include an opportunity for acheinu to support and embrace the hearts of those who are experiencing a spiritual and religious reawakening due in part to the profound impact of the war on the spirit and soul of our people.

In light of these realities, the challenge that awaits the country of Israel and all of us living in the diaspora Jewish community is and will be monumental.

Thousands of IDF soldiers, support personnel, first responders and victims of the war and terror are currently requiring physical rehabilitation in Israel. The numbers are beyond staggering and overwhelming.

Israel must place this challenge and others at the top of its list of priorities This means the building and opening of specially designed rehabilitation centers and clinics, state-of-the-art rehabilitation equipment and technology and the recruitment  and engagement of more rehabilitation physicians, physical therapists and  support personnel.

The effective treatment and therapeutic rehabilitation of victims may even require the recruitment and engagement of medical and rehabilitation medical personnel  from countries outside of Israel – the United State as a primary source.

In addition to the physical rehabilitation of its populace, Israel must create and support centers for responding to emotional and psychological trauma.

The increased number of children, families and IDF personnel and others who desperately require therapy and mental health intervention resulting from trauma is a challenge of tremendous importance. Here as well, mental health practitioners and counselors should be recruited in order to assist Israel in this effort.

Parenthetically, the ideal would be to staff these positions through volunteerism. But if this is not feasible, compensation must be made available for their services.

In addition to the physical, emotional and psychological rehabilitation of acheinu bnai yisrael, herculean efforts must be made to help rebuild, settle and resettle dislocated families from their homes in the southern and northern border regions of Israel.

In addition to the required resources needed to resettle families or the ability for them to return to their homes in the south and north,  the relocation will require serious impenetrable demilitarized zones with the tightest security possible. What the security safeguards need to be will be determined by Israel’s security and military establishment.

Returning Israeli families to their pre October 7th border residences will also help and enhance the country’s ability to school and educate the children of these families. Parenthetically, it is beyond remarkable how the Israeli educational system was able to restructure and retool in order order to temporarily respond to the educational needs of these children.

Finally, it will be essential to help small Israeli business owners rehabilitate their economic viability and recover from the devastating impact of the war on their businesses.

Yes it will take many years to rebuild and to rehabilitate, but with Hashem’s oversight and  guidance coupled with our people’s resilience, we will succeed.

As we enter the next phase of this existential reality, there are a host of other unmet needs in Israel which require immediate attention – this list is way to extensive than the space permits in this blog.

Making it Happen 

It is obvious that the aforementioned challenges and the others not listed, will cost the State of Israel billions of dollars. This is in addition to the untold billions of dollars Israel is incurring due to the war.

As the dark clouds of despair and thick fog of uncertainty lifts, I am humbly optimistic that we as a global Jewish community will be able to respond effectively these important and daunting unmet needs.

One of the modest proposals I would like to humbly present is to launch a comprehensive  global fundraising campaign, not too dissimilar to Federation’s and the Jewish Agency’s Project Renewal Campaigns of the 1970’s.

If there is a way for the entire global Jewish community to assist, it will be through our capacity, ability and experience to successfully fundraise and support Israel.

As envisioned, this new and evolving global fundraising campaign for Israel to be entitled PROJECT ACHDUT-360  can potentially  become the central fundraising mechanism of the decade. It may not be able to fund all of the unmet needs currently facing Israel, but it should be able to encourage, motivate and celebrate achdut and  ahavat yisrael through chesed and tzedakah on the global level.

In addition, PROJECT ACHDUT-360  will help create a global culture of giving, tzedakah and chesed by unifying our Jewish communities around a common goal, purpose and destiny; and, by providing unswerving support for acheinu bnai yisrael  –  for the country’s future strength and vitality.

It is important to note that this Campaign  does not and should not  prevent or preclude our continued support for Israel through the thousands of other chesed and tzedakah projects and initiatives in support institutions, projects and initiatives for Eretz Yisrael..

Finally as I write this blog, I am fully cognizant and aware of the difficult and challenging politics involved in creating and effectively launching this bold global Campaign. But if there was ever a time for all of us to stand together as an Ish Echad B’lev Echad, (One People with One Heart), now is the time.

It is our hope and prayer that HaShem will allow the sunlight to shine through the almost fourteen months of clouds and fog of war. They are only now beginning to lift and clear.

Let us ensure that  we are truly ready, able, willing and determined to accept this new daunting existential challenge, responsibility  and opportunity.

Together, through achdut, we can do it!

Am Yisrael Chai