I know you join me in the joy we all feel for the return of Israeli hostages.
Each one of the hostages is special to many people, especially their families who have long waited for their return. It also turns out we have a special connection to one of the hostages, Gadi Mozes. Gadi will be 81 years old this month and is a world-renowned agronomist who has made major contributions to the development of field crops and wastewater management.
Gadi is also the father of our partner Moran Mozes from the Up60+ Guidance Center team in the Western Negev. The Up60+ Centers help Israeli seniors age actively and successfully, offering health and wellness training, digital literacy, and volunteer opportunities. Moran, a senior program professional in the eldercare field, has remained close to us during her father’s ordeal. For example, she shared her experiences with the JDC Israel team at a special presentation on the 100th day of the hostages’ captivity. She noted how strong her father was, despite concerns for his health. His survival is a testament to that resilience and spirit.
As Hadas Minka-Brand, Ph.D, executive director of JDC-Israel, shared from her reserve duty with the IDF Hostage Unit, “I had the profound honor of standing beside Moran and her brothers, our hearts pounding with anxiety as we awaited Gadi’s return, surrounded by the masses in Gaza. In those tense moments, our prayers were fervent, hoping for his safe arrival home. For 482 days, Gadi fought for his survival, and his children showed remarkable resilience—a clear testament to the bravery they inherited from their father. This is not just Gadi’s story; it is the story of Israel, the story of the Jewish people, and the story of the courageous community of Kibbutz Nir Oz.”
The perseverance of Israel’s older adults is an untold story in the recent conflict and a JDC accomplishment. For example, elderly Israelis from the Up60+ Centers across the country volunteered as part of our emergency response efforts to support evacuees displaced to the region. They ran social activities, helped with basic needs such as shopping, adopted individual families, guided them through their dislocation, and even served as local tour guides.
Israeli seniors have turned out for their country despite the war’s toll on their lives. Tens of thousands of elderly in Israel’s North and South are still facing accelerated cognitive and physical decline because of displacement and isolation, disrupted routines, and diminished access to service.
That’s why one of our current emergency response priorities is to create “Blue Zones”—places across Israel where we will restore and support the health, wellbeing, and resilience of Israeli seniors and ensure they have long lives filled with dignity. We need to train more than 450 health professionals and volunteers in advanced elderly care and create self-empowerment activities for 15,000 of the hardest-hit seniors. We also need to expand our community caseworkers to reach an additional 30,000 older adults in distress and get them the support they need.
In communities across Israel there are accomplished and brave Israeli seniors like Gadi and we must be there to support them.
We pray for the return of the remaining hostages and stand shoulder to shoulder with their families, with Israel, and Jews around the world.
Ariel Zwang is CEO of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). JDC is a recipient of funds from United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.
A special connection to a returned hostage and work with Israel seniors highlighted
