By Heidi Gantwerk
SAN DIEGO — Over the past few days, in the middle of a packed week filled with visitors from around the U.S. and the other side of the world, I had the gift of time spent with a group of San Diego’s passionate Jewish leaders.
We studied Jewish text designed to guide us in thinking through our responsibilities in relation to Israel, what is happening in Gaza, and the rising threats to the Jewish people. They took time out of their equally packed schedules to explore what it means to be a Jewish leader today when the news cycle has become exponentially faster, when space for dialogue is rare, and when people are struggling to make sense of the world.
Together, we searched for a shared language of Jewish values to help us navigate this fraught moment in history. I will be wrestling with what we discussed for some time, but compassion, humility, courage, our obligation to think critically and investigate, and the ability to listen and to hear, are certainly at the forefront.
The work we did together was hard and required soul searching, though that is work we are commanded to do, especially as we get closer to the month of Elul and our time for cheshbon hanefesh (soul-searching). But in addition to this reflection and accounting, there is more we are called upon to do. Just a few weeks ago, we read Isaiah 40:1-2, “Comfort, oh comfort my people says your G-d. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her.” We must hold ourselves and others accountable, and we must also offer comfort.
I hope that, from time to time with these columns, I can offer some comfort and speak to your hearts as I share the enriching, powerful work happening every day to create thriving Jewish life and strong Jewish identity here in San Diego. This past week, we have been working especially hard to extend that comfort, welcome, and belonging to visitors from Sha’ar HaNegev.
The new Mayor of Sha’ar HaNegev, Ori Epstein, made his first visit to San Diego with his wife Ayelet and daughters, Alma and Rona. Ori personally suffered incomprehensible loss on October 7, losing his beloved son Netta, his brother-in-law Ofir Libstein (the slain mayor), his other brother-in-law Uri, his mother Bilha, and his nephew Nitzan.
Under the weight of that loss and grief, he stepped up to honor G-d’s commandment to Isaiah, to offer comfort and speak to the heart of Jerusalem, to his people. While in San Diego, they met with our mayor, Todd Gloria, along with our board and many community leaders, all of whom ensured his family understood that San Diego is also their home.
This week also brought the long-awaited visit of a group of remarkable young adults from Sha’ar HaNegev. They are part of the Winds of Change program, a yearlong leadership cohort run in partnership with the Leichtag Foundation, which has happened in parallel with Federation’s own Giborim or heroes’ program.
For the past few months, talented early career Jewish professionals from 11 different Jewish organizations have been building their own cohort, learning valuable skills, and growing a network of friends and colleagues. This week, the two groups came together for intense discussion, emotional moments, skill building, yoga on the beach, a sunset cruise (with a now legendary conga line), and woven throughout, an underpinning of Jewish learning to guide their partnership. Soon our San Diego Giborim will travel to Israel to further deepen these bonds.
As we reflected at the end of our visit, one of the participants shared that looking at this group, he felt it was k’ilu ha’atid, as if he were seeing the future. He envisioned a more peaceful moment when these young people—friends since that conga line years ago—would step into leadership in their communities and agencies.
In that future, they have strengthened these bonds of friendship and connection, of klal Yisrael, making all our lives richer for it.
We will do everything in our power to bring that vision to life. Everything we have done this week has been answering the commandment to bring comfort—to young adults in difficult situations, and to leaders who have stepped up in a time of crisis. That has brought me comfort, and I hope it does the same for you.
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Heidi Gantwerk is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Federation of San Diego.