In this week's parshah, Korach, we witness a profound challenge to Moses' leadership and the unity of the Jewish people. Korach's rebellion ultimately leads to devastating consequences, but the Torah teaches us a crucial lesson about the importance of legitimate leadership and communal responsibility. As we read in Numbers 16:3, Korach confronted Moses and Aaron, saying, "You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them, and the Lrd is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above the Lrd's congregation?"
While Korach's motivations were misguided, his words inadvertently highlight a fundamental truth: "all the community are holy." Today, this sanctity of every Jewish life takes on urgent meaning as our communities face unprecedented threats.
Our Jewish Federation of Greater Naples delegation, consisting of Board Chair, Nathaniel Ritter, JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Council) Chair, Lisa Koppel, and I were in Washington DC this week, where we joined over 400 Jewish community representatives in advocating for national security policies protecting our Jewish community. This unified effort represents the modern embodiment of communal responsibility that the Torah demands of us. Unlike Korach's divisive rebellion, our in-person advocacy demonstrated how Jewish communities can stand together constructively, demanding protection while strengthening our democratic institutions.
The statistics are sobering. Since October 7th, antisemitic incidents have reached an all-time high with 9,354 recorded incidents in 2024 alone. Jewish Americans, representing just 2% of the U.S. population, are targets of 68% of all religion-based hate crimes. With recent U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, the threat of retaliation against Jewish communities is real and immediate.
We are deeply grateful to our elected officials, and specifically to our local Florida legislators; Senator Ashley Moody, Senator Rick Scott, Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, and Representative Byron Donalds, for their steadfast commitment to addressing these critical and urgent issues essential to the Jewish community's survival in America. Their willingness to engage with our concerns demonstrates the kind of responsive leadership that strengthens rather than divides our society.
The Security Policy Initiative addressed immediate needs: increased Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding (currently only 43% of Jewish institutions receive needed security grants), dedicated funding for security personnel across our Jewish organizations and houses of worship, enhanced FBI intelligence capabilities, increased local law enforcement funding, social media platform accountability, and aggressive prosecution of hate crimes.
As we continuously assess and update local security measures, we must also embrace the principle of communal vigilance. The call to action is clear: "See something, say something." Each of us has a role in protecting our community by remaining alert and reporting suspicious activities to authorities and community security networks.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Naples is an investor in LiveSecure, the partnership between Jewish Federations of North America and the Secure Community Network (SCN). This innovative program creates a live, immediate, and responsive approach to security across the Jewish community, ensuring that threats are identified and addressed swiftly.
Unlike Korach's destructive challenge, our advocacy represents constructive leadership rooted in protecting the sanctity of Jewish life. When we stand together in unity, versus the rebelliousness expressed in this week’s Torah portion, we honor both our tradition and our responsibility to safeguard future generations. Our safety is neither optional nor negotiable, and through collective action, we ensure that Jewish communities can continue to thrive in America.
Shabbat Shalom.
Nammie Ichilov
President & CEO
Jewish Federation of Greater Naples