It is hard to grasp that it has been 3 years – it feels like 3 hours ago and at the same time 3 decades ago. Everything we have all gone through in the Western Negev, the North, Israel, Toronto, and Jewish communities all over the world all blends in an unbelievable reality we have all been forced to exist in ever since. Everything is still so raw, but at the same time so many things have passed, so many emotions have overwhelmed us since, and our community can be proud of so much.
UJA’s support for affected Israelis is deeply personal to me. Not only as an Israeli or a professional, reflecting UJA Toronto at Jewish Federations of Canada - UIA, but as a Jew.
It is about the responsibility we have to one another as a Jewish people — ערבות הדדית — and about being there for people who need us most, not simply in moments of crisis and pain, but as they we work to rebuild lives and shape the future. Israelis are strong and resilient, but there are still many people who face poverty, trauma, inequality and barriers to opportunity. Our role, with our financial and strategic support, is to help ensure that those who are most vulnerable are not left behind.
Even 3 years after Simchat Torah of 2023, our responsibility has taken on an even deeper meaning. After October 7 and the war that followed, communities across Israel have been profoundly affected. We have an opportunity — and I believe a responsibility — not simply to help Israelis recover what was lost, but to build forward better: to invest in education, mental health and leadership; to strengthen the infrastructure that essential services depend on, from hospitals and clinics to schools and community centres; and to create the conditions for families, young people and communities to rebuild, remain and thrive.
That means focusing our efforts where they can make the greatest difference: on Israel’s children and young people, who represent its future; on people who have been directly impacted by war, displacement and trauma; and on those who need a hand to recover, rehabilitate and find their path forward.
Whether it is helping a child overcome the effects of trauma, giving a teenager the tools to build resilience, supporting a family as it rebuilds, or strengthening essential infrastructure that holds a community together, we are investing in people — and in the future of the Jews around the world.
Ultimately, I believe this is what our partnership is about. We are not simply responding to today’s needs; we are helping create tomorrow’s opportunities. We want the communities we support through providing funds for Jewish Federations of Canada – United Jewish Appeal projects, to emerge from this period not only having survived, but stronger, more resilient and full of possibility. We support the people who need us most today, while investing in the people and communities who will make the Jewish people stronger tomorrow.
By doing this, we honour and celebrate the values of – ערבות הדדית and תיקון עולם – Mutual Responsibility and Repairing the World, in its most meaningful form. That way we not only help people recover, but also provide much needed hope, can ensure we can all dance and rejoice again and contribute to a brighter future for Israelis, the Jewish people and the world.
I want to thank this opportunity to thank you for your incredible support of Israelis directly impacted and the Jewish people – all in pursuance of Jewish values. Your care, devotion, action and support mean the world and have contributed to saving and improving the lives of countless people at their darkest times. Providing much needed support, and hope to those who need it the most. The warmth and support are felt, and your generosity is impactful. Now we provide people with more hope than ever. Thanks to your support we can lead a path of renewal and hope forward and not only say, but act on the immortal saying עם ישראל חי.
תודה גדולה