Last week, our board chair-elect Sondra Friedman and I traveled with the Jewish Federations of North America to Berlin and Israel.
It was my first time in Berlin and my first time in Israel since Oct. 7. I saw. I felt. I learned. So much of what I saw left me speechless, and yet so much of what I experienced inspired and motivated me.
I went to give strength to the Israeli people, the Jewish community of Berlin, and Ukrainian refugees… and I left strengthened.
The human tragedy is very real and very present. The devastation from the horrific Oct. 7 attack on Israel is unimaginable. It reminded me of stories from 9/11, but the brutality and cruelty felt so much worse, if that is possible. And, with so many hostages still in captivity, a war in Gaza, and daily rocket attacks in the northern part of the country, the trauma continues to mount and is amplified. The connection between the dehumanization and murder the Nazis perpetrated in Germany and what Hamas did on Oct. 7 — and continues to do — is obvious and real.
Not to be forgotten is the ongoing war in Ukraine and the significant refugee crisis that it has caused. Thousands upon thousands of Ukrainian Jews have fled to Germany and other surrounding countries and are receiving life-saving support. In Berlin, we met with Ukrainian teens who are spending their high school years in Germany in temporary housing away from their family and friends. Their lives are forever changed as well.
Kibbutz Nir Oz, only 1.5 miles from Gaza, had 400 residents on Oct. 6. On Oct. 7, Hamas came into the kibbutz and brutally murdered 40 people and kidnapped 77 others. Over one-fourth of their community was gone in one morning. Walking through the once beautiful kibbutz, now empty except for the burned-out houses and bullet-ridden dining hall, with a resident who lost so much on that day felt like walking through Auschwitz with a Holocaust survivor in 1946.
I was also keenly aware that this was the first of many times I’d stand at the site of the Nova Music Festival, where 365 people were killed and 44 were kidnapped. Moving forward, everyone visiting Israel will visit and pay homage to the horrific memories of what happened there on Oct. 7, 2023.
In Berlin, we heard stories of rising antisemitism in Germany and throughout Europe. Previously, European antisemitism felt very far away and exotic. Now, with rising antisemitism in the United States since Oct. 7, it felt very different.
Seeing Holocaust memorial after Holocaust memorial in Berlin followed by bearing witness to the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel made it clear: Never Again is Now.
Unfortunately, our history has made us a very resilient people. Everywhere I went, I was awed and humbled by the strength and resilience of our organizations, our community and our people. In times of crisis and challenging moments, Jews stepped up time and time again to take care of each other and simply do whatever was needed. We visited Soroka Hospital, which on Oct. 7 experienced the largest mass casualty incident from terror in human history in a single incident while under fire. On that day, they saw a mind-boggling 674 casualties in the first 24 hours, including 44 children. Staff from the night shift simply stayed and worked an entire other shift while medical personnel and volunteers in the area just showed up… because there was a need and there was no one else. This happened and continues to happen throughout every corner of Israel.
Berlin provided a different perspective on Jewish resilience. The Nazis succeeded in virtually eliminating Germany’s Jewish community in the Holocaust. Now, thanks to immigration from the former Soviet Union and other countries, Germany once again has a thriving Jewish community. And, Germany is one of the strongest countries in Europe standing up to right-wing extremism and antisemitism. Not so many years ago, could any of us imagine that Ukrainian Jewish refugees would flee to Germany of all places for a safe haven?
I am incredibly proud of our impact. Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh baZeh — all Israel is responsible for one another. It was amazing to see this text play out in real life. Between the Ukraine campaign and the Israel Emergency Campaign, Kansas City has raised over $4 million in crisis relief funding over the past couple years to take care of Jews in need around the world in addition to the millions we give every year through our Israel and Overseas committee from the Annual Campaign.
From supporting victims of Oct. 7 terror; to emotional and career counseling for wounded Israeli soldiers; to not just resettling Ukrainian refugees but to providing camps and other enrichment programs for Ukrainian teens forced to flee to Germany; our dollars are impacting so many lives. To summarize what our money has gone to, put simply, it takes care of anything that is needed that would not be done otherwise. That’s powerful.
Throughout my trip, people kept thanking us for all we have done to support them and not forget them. It is a privilege to pass that gratitude on to all of you. It was an honor to represent the Kansas City Jewish community throughout Israel and Germany, and it’s an honor to be in this role and work every day on behalf of our community and Jewish communities around the world.
Am Yisrael Chai.
