The Unity of a Nation

As we went to press in late October 2023, three weeks into Israel’s war, the outpouring of chesed, ahavat Yisrael and achdut from Jews across the spectrum in Israel, in the US and across the world over was staggering. Working against a tight deadline, our editors were concerned: how can we capture the endless and ongoing stream of chesed—the Chassidic-owned real estate company that housed evacuees from the South for free; the army of volunteers, secular and religious, providing everything from baby formula to mental health counseling; the singers and musicians providing entertainment to soldiers and evacuees, and on and on? We concluded that while we cannot convey even a fraction of the enormous ahavat Yisrael we are witnessing every hour of every day, we can focus on individuals—each individual story representing hundreds and perhaps thousands of others. Mi K’amcha Yisrael! 

In This Section

On the Frontlines of Chesed: A Diary by Tania Hammer

A Shield for the Soldiers by Haddie (Hadassah) Davidov, as told to Carol Ungar

This Is Unity by Batsheva Moskowitz

The Blessings of Zoom School by Merri Ukraincik

Women Bridging the Gap by Toby Klein Greenwald

Delivering Chizuk by Bentzi Goldman, as told to Carol Ungar

From Toothbrushes to Tourniquets by Batsheva Moskowitz

Making Aliyah in a Time of War by Steve Lipman

Beyond the Frontlines: OU Uniting to Help Our Community in Crisis

Speaking with IDF Colonel Golan Vach by Toby Klein Greenwald