| Dear Friends,
Over the past several days, our community has come together to mark Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut through meaningful and powerful moments. From the ceremony our Federation hosted at Anshai Torah with the Friends of the IDF and the World Zionist Organization, to time spent with students at Akiba Yavneh, these experiences have stayed with me. They were deeply moving—reminders that what we remember is not distant, but something we carry with us. Earlier this week, I spoke with my brother in Israel. He shared that my 10-year-old nephew, Jacob, had just started sleeping in his own room again after months of sirens. Then he began learning about the Holocaust in school—and now he’s back in his parents’ room, struggling with nightmares. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that. It’s a reminder that our history is not abstract—it is lived, felt, and carried forward with us. And so is our resilience. As we mark Yom Ha’atzmaut, we hold both memory and pride. We honor what has been lost, and we recommit to building a strong, secure, and hopeful future for the Jewish people and for Israel—together. I look forward to seeing you at more community’s events around town this week. Wishing you a joyful Yom Ha’atzmaut. Am Yisrael Chai, Robert French, CEO |