In October of 1973, during Yom Kippur services, I remember sitting in temple next to my father, who had a transistor radio earpiece pressed to the side of his head. He was earnestly listening for updates on the Yom Kippur War, which at that time was only hours old.

Over the ensuing days, we held emergency meetings in our home and at our synagogue to coordinate our community’s response. As the Young Leadership Chair for the United Jewish Appeal, my father was central to national action as well.

In that year before my bar mitzvah, my family and I would travel to Israel and visit the land that I witnessed my community work so hard to protect. I learned a critical lesson that shaped the entirety of my life: The responsibility for ensuring the safety and strength of Israel is inextricably linked to my identity as a Jew.

On becoming a rabbi, there was no question that Israel would always be vital to my rabbinate. Having served Stephen Wise Temple for over 25 years, I can proudly say that Zionism is at our core, and Israel is in our hearts. This is a sentiment that I know I share with all of my clergy colleagues.

As Israel faces the greatest threat to the wellbeing and safety of its citizens–and perhaps its very existence–in 50 years, Wise is actively at the center of our community’s efforts to support Israel. Here is some of what we have already done and what you can do to support Israel: 

  • Wise initiated and hosted Los Angeles’ first communal response to the terrorist attack, only 36 hours after we received word of the atrocities. Partnering with the Jewish Federation of LA, the Los Angeles Board of Rabbis, synagogues, and communal organizations, more than 50 clergy from across the city and across denominations came together, along with over 1,400 people onsite and tens of thousands joining online. You can view the video here.
  • Mayor Karen Bass, members of the city council, the L.A. County Sheriff, school board members, representatives from the federal government, and religious leaders joined us on Sunday to show their support. More than that, your clergy is in deep conversation with our public officials, helping them understand and express their unqualified support for Israel at this critical moment.
  • The Jewish Federations of North America campaign to support Israel during this war was announced to Los Angeles from our bima, and to date the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles alone has raised over $7 million. If you have not already, you can donate to the campaign here. Our Israel website lists our other partner organizations, including United Hatzalah and Friends of the IDF, to which we are also directing donations.
  • Our schools have provided resources to parents, offering guidance on how to speak to children during this difficult time. Wise’s own Professor Sivan Zakai, a leading expert in this field, published this piece, which we encourage you to read.
  • Our clergy and leadership are in conversation with our college students, their parents, and their Hillel professionals to help them navigate their own fears and concerns, as well as respond to anti-Israel rhetoric on social media and on campus.
  • LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who joined us as a guest for the High Holy Days, has introduced a motion in support of Israel and condemning the acts of terror against Israelis, now cosponsored by all four other Supervisors. Our continued cultivation of strong relationships with our elected officials enables us to garner their support precisely at times such as these. We encourage you to reach out to Supervisor Horvath and thank her for her support.
  • With our partners, the Union for Reform Judaism and the Association of Reform Zionists of America, we are encouraging you to urge President Biden and Congress to continue to stand with Israel. Click here for contact information and suggested text.

Our hearts are broken for the dead and injured, and we pray for a swift and decisive victory over Hamas and for the restoration of security to the people of Israel. As proud Zionists and committed supporters of Israel, we want for Israelis what they want for themselves, what we express each time we sing HaTikvah—to be a free (and secure) people in our homeland. We fear that this war will be long, and there will be much more loss of life. Regardless of the duration, we will stand together, work together, and pray together for our beloved Israel now and always.

We are united in our pain and in our solidarity. Join us this Friday evening for a special service of comfort in support of Israel, a chance to be together in community. Our prayers and our songs, voiced in our sanctuary but shared throughout the world, will affirm our hope in Israel’s future and the eternal strength of the Jewish people.

Rabbi Ron Stern