By Heidi Gantwerk in Sha’ar HaNegev, Israel
Greetings from Sha’ar HaNegev. Over the past few weeks, an already dizzying news cycle has spun even faster. The Israeli election brought high turnout but no clear resolution, and leaders are working around the clock to form a government. Whatever the outcome, it will have significant consequences for diaspora Jews. Back at home, our own election has left many Jews feeling politically homeless, as anti-Israel, and in some cases blatantly antisemitic, candidates won office across the country.
News of a planned boycott of Jewish-owned businesses in Philadelphia on the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht has deepened our community’s concern and unease. So has the Día de los Muertos ofrenda at the Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park honoring murderous terrorists, including Yahya Sinwar and Hassan Nasrallah.
We cannot let that sense of homelessness turn into hopelessness. I am proud of the organizations and individuals in San Diego, including our Finest Community Coalition, working tirelessly to stand up to antisemitism. Our community’s unified voice gives me strength and keeps me grounded.
This past week in Israel has offered a firsthand lesson in hope and community. I am here for two reasons: to plan for The Community Trip to Israel in May (which will be phenomenal—and you should register now!) and to attend a Partnership Gala marking the launch of construction for Assif, the new resilience and cultural center in Sha’ar HaNegev.
Along the way, we have shared moving, joyful and, of course, difficult moments. At an absorption center, we met recent immigrants from India’s B’nei Menashe community studying Hebrew and Judaism, thrilled to be starting new lives in Israel.
When we asked a group of teens what they liked about living here, they beamed and answered, “Everything!”
We met a former schoolteacher who lost many of his students on October 7 and has since developed a powerful leadership program that uses fitness to strengthen resilience. We also visited the new Bezalel School of Art and Architecture, where Jewish and Arab Israelis study side by side and create meaningful, thought-provoking art.
At the Assif launch, our San Diego group reconnected with dear friends and colleagues to celebrate a milestone your generosity is helping make possible. Assif will bring together therapeutic support, wellness, culture and research—helping this community heal while sharing lessons in resilience and preparedness with the world.
Aside from the partnership event, last night may have been my favorite night of the trip. The Kibbutz Erez International Beer Festival was not, in actuality, terribly international, but it was one of the most memorable nights I have spent on the kibbutz.
Hundreds of people, from tiny infants to the vatikim, the elders of the kibbutz, came out to sample beer and local food, dance to the kibbutz band Theresa, create art, gossip and catch up.
Every person mattered. Families who weren’t there were acknowledged and missed. Children were cared for by everyone, and people surrounded the elders, happy to be in their presence. These people, who have been through so much, could not have been happier to be together, enjoying a beer and great music on a beautiful night in the kibbutz garden.
We, too, can build our own hope by enjoying the simple act of being together: listening to one another, catching up, watching our children play, offering a toast and appreciating the power of community. Not homeless, not hopeless, but part of something bigger than ourselves. May we all feel that power and that connection.
Shabbat Shalom,
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Heidi Gantwerk is the President & CEO of the Jewish Federation of San Diego