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21 February 2025
This has been a hard week.
Yesterday, we first received the devastating confirmation of a nightmare many of us had long feared — two young children, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, were killed by the Hamas terrorists who abducted them. Their bodies were returned to their family yesterday. Their mother’s remains, however, were not. Another cruel, cynical, and evil act.
Shiri, and her two boys became a symbol of Hamas’s barbarity. The images of Shiri clutching her two red-headed children on October 7th have been etched in our minds ever since. We, as a community, marked Kfir’s first and second birthdays in captivity, and held out hope until yesterday, that there would be a different outcome.
The body of 84 year old Oded Lifshitz, among the oldest of those taken hostage, was also returned yesterday.
The identity of the fourth body returned to the IDF yesterday is still unknown.
Our hearts are broken.
On Tuesday, we came together as a broader community to mark 500 days since the October 7th attacks by Hamas. The gathering was a powerful reminder that while we’ve made significant strides, there is still much work to be done.
During this event, we heard from several freed hostages and their families, who shared the profound impact of everything that has unfolded since October 7th. It was an emotional experience filled with many poignant moments. Among them, I wanted to highlight a video message from Keith and Aviva Siegel, in which they express their heartfelt gratitude for everything we, as a community, did to ensure their safe return home.
Adam Gray, one of our new Next Gen NEXUS participants, shared a powerful reflection: “While sadness and frustration were deeply felt, it’s essential we face these emotions together during these critical times. I believe that the more we share in these feelings, the stronger our unity becomes. From that unity, I hope we can bring all the hostages home as soon as possible, and grow stronger as a community.”
The full program is now available on YouTube. Please share it with others — spreading the stories of the hostages and their families remains one of our most powerful tools in advocating for their safe return.
Praying for better days ahead,
Gil
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I continue to stay in close contact with our partners to monitor Federal layoffs as well as proposed changes to federal and state level funding for programs and projects and their impact on individuals and organizations in the community. I know that the greater Washington community is likely to feel the impact of these funding changes and job cuts especially hard. Please remember that Federation is here for you. If you, or someone you know, is in need of assistance, the J-Caring community support initiative, a partnership between JSSA and Federation, can assist with everything from mental health care and career services to emergency cash assistance.
ICYMI: Featured in eJewishPhilanthropy
I was thrilled to see our very own Chief of Staff, Elisa Deener-Agus, featured in eJewishPhilanthropy late last week. Elisa shared poignant thoughts about transformation through trauma. Her piece explores the idea of post-traumatic growth at both the individual and communal levels in the wake of the October 7th attacks.
When Campers Grow-Up: A JDAIM Reflection
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