Proudly Representing Hadassah at the Stand Together Rally in Washington, D.C.

It was a privilege to attend “Stand Together: A Day of Solidarity 2024” on November 10 in Washington, D.C., organized by the Jewish Federation of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations and sponsored by numerous Jewish community organizations including “my” organization, Hadassah.

My Evolve Fellowship group was one of the first to arrive at the Nationals Park stadium, home to the Washington Nationals baseball team. After getting our kosher schnitzel sandwiches, we promptly took our seats. My heart swelled with pride to see Hadassah among the list of sponsors on the stadium screen. I knew that Hadassah would be where it needed to be. Here. Banding together with other amazing organizations. Because that is how we grow stronger. Together.

Photo of the author, left, with Evolve Fellow Robin Katcoff. Photo courtesy of the author.

Emcees Eric Fuentes and Montana Tucker started us off in the “pre-show.” This past summer, Montana Tucker was the keynote speaker at Hadassah’s National Conference in Las Vegas. Tucker gave an inspiring speech about her grandparents, who were Holocaust survivors. Her call to action was that we keep telling our stories.

The day in Washington, D.C., was cold and rainy. Grey clouds loomed overhead. And, at special times, a few raindrops would pelt us in the forehead, a chilly reminder of the heavy grey clouds above.

But did those clouds matter? Of course not! Israel’s Edan Reichel Project was performing on stage! The crowd rushed to the front to dance and to sing along. It felt as though nobody in attendance was a stranger that day.

Another participant was my dear friend and Evolve Fellow Robin Katcoff. Her beautiful daughter sang with her choir alongside John Ondrasik, the singer of “100 Years.”

It was such a treat to see Robin that day. Honestly, it is a treat to know Robin in the first place–along with the other nine accomplished ladies in our Evolve cohort. The Evolve Fellowship program has been a wonderful experience because it has put me in a room with amazing people on several occasions. And, through Evolve and the Hadassah Writers’ Circle, I have been able to amplify my voice in this column!

Although John Ondrasik is not Jewish, it felt great to welcome such an enthusiastic ally! And his performance with the choir was terrific — as was the performance of up-and-coming vocalist and violinist Ana Pasternak, who I was lucky enough to meet and chat with later that evening.

Politicians from all sides of the political spectrum also made an appearance to affirm their support. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer gave an inspirational speech. U.S. Representatives Ritchie Torres (NY-15), and Virginia Foxx (NC-5) and stand-up comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish each brought a fierce energy and a clear message that October 7 will not break us, that this war will not divide us.

During one of those empowering speeches, I looked behind me to acknowledge the people filing into the rows of seats. One memorable attendee was Aviva Siegel. Aviva lived with her husband Keith on Kibbutz Kfar Aza. On October 7, they were kidnapped, forcibly taken hostage and driven to the Gaza strip by terrorists, who stole their car.

As a testament to how small the Jewish world is, Aviva and Keith are distant cousins of a friend I grew up with in Spring, Texas. Aviva was released after 51 days, but after 400 plus days, sadly, Keith is still a hostage of Hamas. Aviva came on stage later and described the horror she went through.

In my awe, I turned around and began to shake her hand, giving her an emphatic welcome. She looked grateful but also a bit…stunned?

I think I may have come off a little too strong. Sorry, Aviva!

And, speaking of appearances, I was not expecting to see American wrestler (born to Israeli parents) Amit Elor walk onto the stage. Amit’s speech was equally as impressive as the gold medal she won in Women’s Wrestling at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In the aftermath of this rally, I am at a loss to think of a culture that is more resilient than that of the Jewish people. We are a people who knows how to create a bright light amidst dark days. A people so diverse in background and opinion and yet can stand together when it matters most.

The roster of speakers at the rally is a sure sign that we are not alone! There are people who are willing not only to stand with the Jewish people but are not afraid to speak out. Nobody would deny that it’s a scary time to be doing either. So that is why we must do our part. We must speak louder than those who wish to silence us. We must shine brighter than those who wish to spread darkness and hatred. My experience with Hadassah has taught me that we must align our individual core values with action–whether that be through community building, advocacy or fundraising.

Hadassah, partnering alongside other action-oriented organizations, helped to make this rally happen.

I am always proud to represent Hadassah.

Emily is a member of the Hadassah Writers’ Circle, a dynamic and diverse writing group for leaders and members to express their thoughts and feelings about all the things Hadassah does to make the world a better place, to celebrate their personal Hadassah journeys and to share their Jewish values, family traditions and interpretations of Jewish texts.  Since 2019, the Hadassah Writers’ Circle has published nearly 450 columns in the Times of Israel Blog and other Jewish media outlets. Interested? Please contact hwc@hadassah.org.