The Right Side of History       

Where: Tenafly, New Jersey (just over the George Washington Bridge from Manhattan)

Who: One of the US’s largest concentrations of former Israelis (where Hebrew can be heard all over, even in the public schools), alongside a smaller American Jewish enclave

My takeaway: Let’s give everyone an opportunity to align with the side of emes 

Perhaps it’s because my husband Yedidya and I are both Israeli media personalities who’ve somehow been tabbed to make visits to communities all over. Every kehillah is special in its own unique way, and we’re grateful for the invitations and opportunities to interface with our brothers and sisters around the Jewish world.

Join me as I share some of these new connections

ONEchild of Tenafly, a young man named Edan Alexander, was born in Tel Aviv, grew up in New Jersey, returned to Israel as a lone soldier, and was kidnapped during the Simchas Torah massacre. Since then, many events have been held in the city in the merit of Edan ben Yael. You can’t go into a local supermarket or gas station without seeing his picture, and prayers for his welfare are on everyone’s lips. That’s probably why the Jews of Tenafly were so tuned into the other guests there for Shabbos who joined us at the last minute.

The week we were invited, after a communal Kabbalas Shabbos at the Tenafly shul, some 400 community members made their way into the large hall for the Friday night seudah, led by Rabbi Yitzchak Gershovitz, a Chabad emissary and the official shaliach of the Israeli expat community. He introduced my husband Yedidya and me as the guest speakers — but then he introduced another couple, Ran and Orly Gilboa from Petach Tikvah, who, we would soon learn, were the real guests this Shabbos.

The Gilboas are the parents of Daniella, also kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 and still being held in Gaza. They arrived in the US as part of a delegation of families of hostages, and spent several grueling days in diplomatic meetings with ambassadors, journalists, and congressmen. The whirlwind of activity in Washington was over on Friday around noontime.

The Gilboas are shomrei Shabbos — Ran has been going it alone for the past few years, and Orly joined him recently, in order to boost their spiritual merits and that of their kidnapped daughter. In a race against the clock, they managed to drive to New Jersey, finally reaching the home of Israeli friends with only minutes to spare before Shabbos. Now, they’re here with us — totally unexpectedly, but made to feel right at home.