By Leah Garber
“It Feels Good to Do Good”
In partnership with the Ruach Tova (Good Spirit) Foundation, a part of the global business and philanthropic network Arison Group, Israel marks “Good Deeds Day” today—a day devoted to acts of kindness that ultimately benefit our collective future and uphold the ethical foundation of the State of Israel.
This special day features over 8,000 volunteer initiatives and goodwill activities across the country. Participants come from every sector of Israeli society: municipal authorities, non-profit organizations, businesses and their employees, soldiers, youth movement members, students, athletes, and even tourists who have traveled to Israel specifically to take part in this day of giving.
The activities span meaningful efforts throughout the country. In the north, volunteers help evacuees return to their homes, renovate damaged public buildings, restore community gardens, and organize charity events. In southern communities, efforts focus on repairing war-damaged schools and kindergartens, collecting food and clothing, and providing support to reserve soldiers, hostage families, and bereaved families.
It feels good to do good—and truly, doing good is remarkably simple. Nothing connects and unites us more profoundly than extending a hand to those in need. Once again, Israeli society demonstrates resilience and unity, finding ways to serve the community while elected officials focus on their own political agenda during these challenging times of war.
Against this backdrop of civic engagement comes troubling political developments, including the dismissal of Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) director Ronen Bar—a decision that has shaken Israeli society to its core. This has driven masses to protest nationwide, calling for a state commission of inquiry into what many consider the worst disaster to befall Israel and the Jewish people since the Holocaust.
While society remains turbulent and divided over government actions, 59 hostages still endure cruel imprisonment in Gaza. With hostage release negotiations at an impasse, Israel launched a significant air and naval offensive last night, following the US strike against Houthi targets in Yemen. This military pressure aims to compel Hamas to accept the proposed deal terms and release more hostages.
The hostages’ families live in constant despair. Testimonials from those who survived captivity reveal horrifying conditions of being chained, tortured, beaten, starved, and subjected to relentless psychological terror. Eli Sharabi, who emerged from captivity only to discover his wife and two daughters were murdered on October 7th, shared chilling accounts of starvation that echo the darkest chapters of European history.
Families of those still held captive hear these firsthand accounts of illness and injury, imagining their loved ones enduring this nightmare for 529 days and nights—with no end in sight and no certainty that negotiations will continue. Hope and faith alone sustain them, keeping their heads above the turbulent waters that threaten to consume them at any moment.
The renewal of hostilities in Gaza has sparked divided public discourse. Will military pressure effectively bring Hamas back to negotiations, especially in light of President Trump’s explicit warnings to Iran and its proxies? Or will escalation only endanger the hostages further? We must remember that Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization committed to Israel’s destruction and the establishment of an Islamic Palestinian state—”from the river to the sea.” Israeli forces recently thwarted another attempted infiltration aimed at replicating the October 7th massacre. The sinister intentions of Hamas militants remain unchanged. None have expressed remorse, and they openly declare their commitment to continue their atrocities.
After 529 days, we must resist normalizing the unacceptable reality that innocent people are held under inhumane conditions as hostages. We cannot forget, even momentarily, the events of October 7. The horrific trauma, the bleeding scar, and the lament of families who haven’t experienced a single night of calm sleep since their loved ones were abducted.
Today, we awaken to yet another new reality. Military aircraft sounds echo across the country, and Gaza’s blasts reverberate here as well. Our hearts ache for the hostages in grave danger, while our minds focus on the necessity of eliminating Hamas to prevent future atrocities. Logic dictates we must compel Hamas back to negotiations, even as we stand with our brothers in Gaza who hear the sounds of war and wonder about their fate.
How events will unfold remains uncertain, and no one in the Middle East dares predict what tomorrow will look like, especially when the longest day in our history has yet to conclude.
Perhaps the cross-sectoral, politically diverse acts of goodness today will calm the winds of war and bring gusts of reconciliation. Even for the most pessimistic among us, whose naivety and optimism have been stolen by the events of the past year and a half, still dare to dream.
Until then, let’s continue to do good in the face of the evil surrounding us.
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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