Source of Infographic: Jewish Silicon Valley, a member organization of the Jewish Federations of North America system
“Comfort, Comfort My People”
This Shabbat Nachamu arrives amid profound darkness, yet I write the following narrative with three guiding truths that anchor my thoughts:
- Israel has an unapologetic right to exist.
- The hostages taken on October 7th (both living and deceased) must be returned by Hamas immediately.
- A real and lasting solution to end the humanitarian crisis and suffering of all innocent lives must be achieved as soon as possible.
In Parashat Vaetchanan, Moshe pleads with Gd to enter the Promised Land, using the word "vaetchanan," a term our sages teach us that expresses intense and humble supplication, prayer that comes from the deepest place of one's soul. Today, as we mark day 672 of this war with 50 hostages still in captivity, we too engage in vaetchanan, desperate prayers for comfort, for justice, for peace.
The Haftorah's opening words this week, "Nachamu, nachamu ami" ("Comfort, comfort my people"), speak to consolation after destruction. Yet true comfort cannot come while innocent people suffer. The images of emaciated hostage Evyatar David, described by his family as "a living skeleton, buried alive," pierce our souls. Hamas's deliberate starvation of hostages while manipulating media narratives reveals their strategy: maximize suffering to gain leverage.
Meanwhile, Israel continues significant humanitarian efforts, facilitating an almost 200 daily aid truck convey into Gaza, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation expanding from four to sixteen distribution centers, delivering two million Halal-certified meals daily, supported by $1 billion in new funding, with six countries dropping 785 aid packages totaling hundreds of thousands of kilograms of food. However, the loss of innocent lives in Gaza is both tragic and heartbreaking, a reality that weighs heavily on all who value human dignity. Yet only Gd knows the full truth of what is taking place, and sadly, our trust in the media and sources of data has been diminished and certainly brought into question.
The data presented by US-Israeli sources shows that over 87% of aid has been intercepted, accounting for 23,353 tons of supplies diverted by armed groups. However, we must acknowledge that criticism of Israeli government leadership's intentions, objectives, and methods comes from multiple sources: organizations with historic anti-Israel agendas, independent humanitarian organizations, Israelis and Jews within Israel, and international allies including the United States, whose pressure for increased aid delivery has pushed the government to respond with expanded humanitarian measures. Israel’s revised plan reflects the traditions of our deepest Jewish value of pikuach nefesh (preservation of life), tzedakah (righteousness), and the pursuit of both justice and peace.
This moral complexity exists alongside a troubling global reality: what many consider the most dangerous period for Jews worldwide since the Holocaust. The rise of antisemitism, often disguised as anti-Zionist propaganda, has reached alarming heights. University campuses witness Jewish students hiding their identity while ancient blood libels resurface in modern media through staged photographs and manipulated narratives.
The moral inversion is staggering: a terrorist organization that deliberately starves hostages is portrayed as righteous, while Israel providing unprecedented aid to its enemy’s civilians during wartime is demonized. This propaganda war succeeds by exploiting our digital world's tendency toward AI algorithms over human empathy and common sense. When universities celebrate Hamas supporters while silencing Jewish voices, we witness antisemitism clothed in contemporary political language.
As we seek comfort this Shabbat, Moshe's prayers in Vaetchanan teach us persistence in seeking justice while maintaining our highest moral standards. True nachamu (comfort) requires confronting complexity: supporting Israel's absolute right to defend itself while demanding adherence to Jewish values of compassion and righteousness. We must distinguish between legitimate concerns raised by fellow Jews and the antisemitic hatred that exploits any Israeli imperfection.
Our prayers echo Moshe's vaetchanan: for the immediate return of all hostages, for Israel's leaders to pursue victory through methods that honor our tradition's sanctity of life while mourning every innocent life lost, and for swift restoration of peace. Only when truth prevails over propaganda, when hostages return home, and when both peoples can live in security under Gd's protection, will the comfort promised in this week's Haftorah become reality.
May this Shabbat Nachamu herald the beginning of true comfort for all who suffer, and may we be Stronger Together.
Shabbat Shalom,
Nammie Ichilov
President & CEO
Jewish Federation of Greater Naples