MOMentum Day 1- From Oy to Joy
The day started at the Tel Aviv stock exchange with singing and dancing and laughter and joy. It was amazing to be a part of a group of women, each only knowing about a dozen out of 200 women, but that didn’t matter. Each pulling another into the dance. That connection that began there carried through the whole day as we danced, explored, discovered, stood in solidarity and reflected together as a group. We are all different - and yet unified.
We heard from a few educators on the value of courage. To be bold. With comments including - “The Jewish resilience is to thrive, not just survive”. And “Our shared past is a fact. Our shared future is a choice” - and “we must make our own choice on how to shape it”.
Our future, for me, was rocked on October 7. Being in Israel and feeling safer than I do at times in Toronto has been a surprise AND has reaffirmed what makes us unique in the world.
Dr Raviv - the VP of education of birthright put into words the disappointment I have found difficult to express about the state of the world. Where context matters more than content and where opinion is not supported by fact and moreover there is no interest to listen. Our world is facing an erosion of intelligent dialogue and an explosion of superficiality.
But - despite the disappointment it is up to us to choose how we engage to learn and then shape the future for our children.
One outcome of Oct 7 and the day after - Dr. Raviv said - is the immense awakening and rise of the Jewish identity - and we saw, heard, felt and tasted it today.
1. Dancing our hearts out with reckless abandon was one way. That was soul-filling. We will dance again and again.
2. Hearing how “Never letting go” of the responsibility to preserve our Jewish identity as the Ethiopian Jewery did in the face of incredible danger - living our values - that is our continued power.
3. Hearing from 3 brave young women - whose courage and commitment to the nationhood and to the country is not a choice but a calling, like a gene in every cell of their being. The accountability to protect, to fight, and more, one to enable the world to see and understand the truth of our values and what happened on October 7th, yet to do so with a level of empathy and respect for others that no other nation seems capable of displaying.
4. And so much more.
Today was a long day. Full of emotion. Learning. Reflection. And what I took away from today was -
Joy is a way of being.
The Jewish People are bold and courageous and the next chapter of our future is to be written by us and our children
We have to engage with no fear
We must stay true to and live our values unapologetically and defiantly - even more importantly when not valued by other
And, our story is not that of disasters but rather creation, innovation, self reliance, values and coming together as one Global community that all call Eretz Yisroel home.
Written by: 2025 Participant
