From Heartbreak to Action: Reflections from This Week

Dear Friends,

On my phone, I have a bright orange app called Home Front Command. I added it right after October 7th when I was travelling in Israel in case there was a rocket attack when I was spending time in the South. This app, in addition to knowing your location and alerting you to possible attacks, also allows you to select very specific locations in Israel and receive alerts when an attack is possible or likely there. I have a few locations selected — places I go often. Kibbutz Erez and Kibbutz Nachal Oz, both right on the border with Gaza, both home to dear friends, are selected in the app. So is Jerusalem, where my oldest son lives. 

My friends and my son are thousands of miles away, and logically I know that now more than ever, there is absolutely nothing I can do to help if a siren sounds. There never really was, of course. In Jerusalem, you have 90 seconds to get to a shelter. In the South, only 15. However, knowing that even if I wanted to or needed to get to them, I can’t, is a frightening feeling. So, I choose to stay connected by getting the alerts they receive, waking up at all hours of the night to the sound, so I can send a text checking that my son is in the shelter, or send my friends an emoji-filled WhatsApp so they know we care. The alarm is dramatic and jarring, as it must be, so even in San Diego, thousands of miles away, I feel the physiological effect of the sirens, and toll of the sleepless nights. Of course, it does not begin to compare with what millions of Israelis have been living with 24/7 since last Thursday. 

The scenes of destruction across the country are heartbreaking. The damage inflicted upon the Weizmann Institute and Soroka Hospital is horrific. Every injury and every life lost is devastating, and rebuilding will take years. Yet at the same time, once again, we see the determination and resilience of the Jewish people. The Iranian regime has made its intentions—the total annihilation of Israel and of the Jewish people—crystal clear, and the danger was imminent. Israel has, with extraordinary skill, targeted miliary facilities throughout Iran to dramatically diminish the threat. In return, Iran has targeted civilians. The decades-long investment Israel has made in making shelters available to everyone, combined with its remarkable defense systems, has saved countless lives. But the damage caused by Iranian missiles remains catastrophic, nonetheless. 

Jewish Federations of North America has once again jumped into action, providing urgently needed funds in the aftermath of these attacks. San Diego is as well, using dollars remaining in our Israel Emergency Campaign to fund improvements for shelters in the South, support for disabled Israelis who face additional challenges in a time of war, and desperately needed aid for the victims of the attacks. You can help replenish our Israel Emergency Campaign here.  

We also cannot forget that 53 hostages are still being held in Gaza in increasingly brutal conditions. Our family in Sha’ar HaNegev has told us how worried they are about Ziv and Gali Berman, Omri Miran, and all of the other hostages, now that the world’s attention may have turned away. To learn more about efforts to bring them home, the leaders of Sha’ar HaNegev will be hosting a webinar on Monday morning at 10:00 a.m. Pacific. You can register here to hear directly from family members. 

Amidst the impacts of this war with Iran, the closure of Ben Gurion Airport has stranded 150,000 Israelis abroad, tens of thousands more within Israel, and led to the cancellation of long-planned trips such as Birthright, BBYO, Jewish summer camps, family reunions and vacations, and more. It’s a stark contrast to what the airport has long symbolized: the joy of arriving in Israel, and the sorrow of leaving it. 

So let me end with our own story of Jewish joy and resilience. Our Israel Unfiltered trip was due to leave for Israel this past Monday for an extraordinary three-week experience. Our talented team at Federation knew from the beginning that anything is possible right now and had a Plan B ready to go—a Jewish European adventure through Munich, Prague, Budapest, and Vienna. Within 48 hours of the initial attack on Iran, we had pivoted: all teens and staff were booked on flights to Munich, hotels were secured in every city, an outstanding Israeli tour guide (who happened to be stuck in Europe) was lined up, and a detailed, personal itinerary was developed in partnership with the Budapest JCC—plus more, ready to go. Every single one of the 23 teens who had planned to go to Israel is now in Munich, experiencing a different kind of trip of a lifetime.

These students have become a family, and I could not be more proud of them and of our Federation staff, who have not missed a step despite the challenging circumstances and logistical hurdles. Together, they are creating lifelong friendships and powerful Jewish identity, and I know their connection to Israel will deepen because of this experience. 

Shabbat Shalom,

Heidi Gantwerk, President & CEO  Jewish Federation of San Diego