This week's Torah portion, Terumah, describes the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), a sacred space built from the voluntary contributions of the Israelite people. Gd instructs Moses to "take for Me an offering from every person whose heart motivates them" (Exodus 25:2). The Mishkan represents far more than a tent; it represents the tangible expression of Jewish peoplehood, sovereignty, and spiritual identity. This ancient blueprint reminds us that building, creating, and establishing a homeland are not acts of “colonialism” or aggression, they are acts of national survival and spiritual continuity.
In our own time, this message echoes profoundly. Earlier this week, we heard from the Honorable Roy K. Altman, United States District Court Judge, who presented his forthcoming work "Israel on Trial: Examining the History, the Evidence, and the Law." Judge Altman's forensic approach to modern claims against Israel, applying the courtroom standards of burden of proof, corroboration, and chain of custody, offers us a clarity that the Terumah principle demands: facts matter!
Just as the Mishkan required precise measurements, specific materials, and unwavering commitment, defending Israel's legitimacy requires evidence not just emotion. In his book, Judge Altman demonstrates that claims of colonialism, apartheid, and genocide, when subjected to historical records, archaeological evidence, and international law, collapse under scrutiny. Anti-Zionism, the denial of the Jewish people's right to self-determination in their biblical and historic homeland, is fundamentally distinct from legitimate government criticism. This semantic distinction has been deliberately obscured since 10-7, and our young people have been targeted with confusion about what anti-Zionism actually means. It is not criticism of policy; it is the demand for the erasure of the Jewish homeland; dare I even say the Jewish people.
Yet facts, as Judge Altman reminds us, still matter. And our community's actions speak volumes. Since 10-7, our Jewish Federation of Greater Naples has raised over $1.5 million to support Israeli victims and citizens rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of terrorism and war in Israel. Working through a comprehensive ecosystem, the Federation network that collectively raised over $990 million nationally through JFNA, along with Israeli government offices and specialized non-governmental organizations, has been strategic in our support. Just this month, our Jewish Federation of Greater Naple's Board of Directors approved the distribution of nearly $700,000 to 26 charitable organizations providing immediate relief, addressing PTSD across all age groups, and supporting the long-term rebuilding of Israeli communities. This is more than charity; it is the expression of Jewish solidarity with ourselves, of people investing in their own survival and healing.
The Mishkan teaches us that building requires both vision and resources, both passion and precision. Our Federation's work in Israel, coordinating with government, scaling resources through NGOs, and maintaining continuity of support, mirrors that sacred construction. We are not engaged in abstract debate; we are engaged in concrete acts of Jewish peoplehood. Israel is not separable from Jewish identity. It is woven into our theology, our history, our personal lives as Jews. The attempt to untether anti-Zionism from anti-Semitism is an attempt to untether ourselves from ourselves.
As we read Terumah and reflect on the Mishkan, we affirm a simple truth: Jews deserve a place to build, to create, and to live free. That place is Israel. That right is ours. Because we are Stronger Together.
Shabbat Shalom,
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