This summer, I traveled to Israel for my niece’s wedding. It was a joyous occasion, full of laughter, dancing, and the kind of celebration that reminds us what it means to live fully and proudly as Jews. Surrounded by family, I felt the timeless bond that ties us to our people and our homeland.
But my trip was not only about joy. I had visited the site of the October 7 attacks on previous trips to Israel, but this time I went with my husband and our adult children. The experience was profoundly different. Standing together before the photographs of young lives cut short, we felt the weight of unimaginable loss in a new way. My children were deeply moved, realizing these were peers, young people who should have been building futures filled with promise. The grief was overwhelming. Yet, even in that place of mourning and remembrance, we found hope. The people of Israel, resilient and courageous, remind us that while tragedy leaves scars, it does not erase our spirit.
Over the past 24 months of war, we have witnessed a wide range of emotions and opinions from family, friends, and strangers alike. Israel is a complicated society. There are protests in the streets, solidarity with hostage families, and communities suffering deeply during wartime.
Conversations wrestle with what needs to be done, what has already been done, and what everyone wishes could be. There are no black-or-white answers, only the complexity of a reality where grief and hope live side by side. What unites us is that we are a people who grieve together, who share values rooted in Jewish tradition, and who remain committed to investing in the future of our families and our people.
As Jewish people, we carry the legacy of our ancestors within us. Our history is marked by hardship and exile but also illuminated by perseverance and triumph. We continue to build, to dream, and to live with meaning. That strength comes from community and from legacy, the knowledge that our story stretches back thousands of years and is still being written today.
Now, more than ever, it is important that our children and grandchildren experience Israel for themselves. Programs such as the Simon Family Passport to Israel make that possible, giving young people the chance to touch the land, meet the people, and carry those memories into their own Jewish journeys. I encourage families to apply and give the next generation the gift of connection that will last a lifetime.
As we enter this season of renewal, may we carry forward resilience and joy, and may we walk confidently into the future, rooted in our past, connected in the present, and filled with hope for what lies ahead.
Naomi Limor Sedek is president and CEO of Tidewater Jewish Foundation.
