By Leah Garber
“Take our weapons and our swords and let them find a new mark,
Shape this world and our lives into something stark and new:
An ark for me and you.
Find our allies and use our strength as the glue,
To secure the shelter for us to ride the wave through.
We will never make it if its every jew for himself in a solo canoe.
But together.,
Together we can build something no one can undo.
Together we can build an ark for our people until we pull through.”
— Excerpt from “My Not So Trendy Zionist Identity,” by Talia Bodner, Times of Israel Blog, November 19, 2024.
“Our Future Starts Now” was the title of Z3’s 10th conference earlier this week. The Zionism 3.0 Project of the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto, Calif., was conceived by CEO Zack Bodner ten years ago; working alongside a group of dedicated community leaders, Israeli and American-born Jews, they created the Z3 Project. Z3 is a one-of-a-kind gathering bringing together voices from across the spectrum to discuss Jewish engagement based on three core principles: unity, not uniformity; diversity of voices; and engaging as equal partners.
I’ve had the privilege of participating in Z3 conferences over the years, together with many others, gathering for an inspiring experience where the word “Zionism” is a label we wear proudly, a cornerstone of our Jewish identity.
This year, I arrived at the conference feeling different from ever before, immersed in the heavy mood that envelops us all — with a cloud of pain over my head, mourning, and collective anxiety weighing heavily on my being, and I can see it in the posture of every Jew in attendance.
Nearly 2,000 participants, 1,300 in person and the rest online, slightly eased my emotional burden, dimmed its darkness, and offered me the comfort of being together with my people.
The many young people dedicating their time to the Jewish people here in North America, Israel, and the Jewish world, including the remarkable Talia Bodner, who stood on stage, reciting her powerful words, inspire me. The spark in their purposeful eyes, the determination in their steady, confident, and emotional voices, and the intensity of their belief in our just cause while raising the Zionist flag high, prominently, without apology — illuminated the darkness of pain-laden clouds and dared to offer hope.
I hope that at the end of this bleeding, scorched journey, we will find a way to lift our heads again above grief and dare to look forward to a better tomorrow.
Talia and her peers and their young counterparts in Israel are our generation of revival. They are the promise of the Jewish, Zionist future, loyal to the founding fathers’ vision and its realization, even when storms rage around them, and evil threatens to consume hope. They do not hesitate to wave Israeli flags on campuses, make their voices heard, fight the advocacy battle on social networks, courageously declare their identity, and cry out for Israel’s right to defend itself.
Every year, the Z3 conference offers a courageous, respectful, and inclusive platform for diverse opinions, different thought patterns, and conflicting modes of action. Its diverse voices are its strength and beauty.
One of the guest talents was Idan Raichel, the Israeli musician, who invited us to join him in singing the timeless song that expressed the conference’s essence: “הנה מה טוב ומה נעים שבת אחים גם יחד” “Hineh Ma Tov — Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity.”
Indeed, we sat together, 1,300 people from different backgrounds, communities, ages, and opinions, yet connected by an unbreakable bond, united in hearts.
Together, we wept when Idan Raichel spoke about his friend Sagie, held captive in Gaza’s dungeons for 411 days and nights, along with 100 of our brothers and sisters. Idan told of Mili, Sagie’s wife, who gave birth to their third daughter, without her husband by her side to hold her hand and welcome their daughter’s arrival to this sad world. With indescribable courage, Mili raises their three children, promising them day in and day out that Abba, Dad, will return home. Every evening, after another exhausting day that begins with hope and ends in disappointment, Mili dresses up for her husband. She sleeps, inviting Sagie into her dreams to be with her, if not in reality, then at least in the sweet dream’s illusion, offering her strength for another day of bitter disappointment.
Just before the conference’s end, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett shared the heartbreaking letter of fallen soldier Ivri Dickstein, who was killed in Lebanon last Thursday. Ivri, knowing another Shabbat would pass without him at home, wanted to surprise his wife with flowers and chocolates, with some sweet words of love on the note attached, and so he wrote: “My dear wife, writing to you again from the far north, hoping for the last time. I’m here, happy and doing something meaningful for our people. I ask you to smile and keep your head high. I’m okay, don’t worry about me. I love you most in the world, enjoy the chocolate and the beauty of the bouquet. Always yours, Ivri.” The delivery of his final, loving words arrived at Ivri’s home when his wife returned from her beloved husband’s funeral.
Still wrapped with the conference warmth, the following 48 hours further enhanced my optimism and hope. Being with JCC colleagues, I learned from and alongside these highly dedicated professionals from various JCCs how deep and rooted their personal and professional commitment to Israel is. Together, we unpacked the Z3 experience and contemplated how it could be scaled to engage the community in meaningful Israel programming. Being among these committed professionals at Z3 was truly inspiring and encouraging.
JCC Association has been a partner in the Z3 Leadership Lab, a post-conference program for JCC professionals, for several years. This year, almost 40 representatives from 16 JCCs participated in a collaborative brainstorm on how to implement scaled Z3 experiences in their communities.
After the conference on Sunday, Zack Bodner invited rabbis from all denominations to stand together, offer a prayer for the return of the hostages and the well-being of Israel’s soldiers, and lead the singing of “Hatikvah.” It was powerful, unifying, and uplifting. Israel’s anthem burst from broken hearts and from throats hoarse from crying. This singing expressed the essence of my Jewish identity, of all our identities — united in our loyalty to our beloved homeland, people, culture, heritage, and future.
I returned home more comforted than I had been two weeks before. Encouraged by the great spirit of the people of our JCCs and the Talia Bodners, who have risen to the calling and are unwavering and determined to continue navigating through these turbulent waters, our future starts now.
Together, united, we will overcome.
Leah Garber is a senior vice president of JCC Association of North America and director of its Center for Israel Engagement in Jerusalem.
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