The Jewish people have always believed in family. That has been the core of how we have survived and thrived for 3,500 years. The Jewish family nucleus has been a constant source of support for empowering our children to go on to do great things. This is not only a nice thought but a hard fact. Israel has the highest birth rate among countries in the Organization for Cooperation and Development (OECP).
One might think that this is because Israel has a large Orthodox population with large families. This is not the whole story. Even among secular Israeli families, the birth rate far exceeds the average for the OECP. While birth rates have dropped in many of the world’s richest countries due to a myriad of concerns, the Jews have bucked this trend across the board and are continuing to have larger families than their neighbors.
This is because Jews understand that we must always live for the future. Our children and our families are the gift that we leave the world when we depart. Our lives are spent trying to inculcate the next generation with Jewish values so that they can continue our work and make the world a stronger and better place. This all starts with marriage.
It was my honor to celebrate a number of marriage ceremonies last week. Aish had a powerful couples’ mission to Israel where we toured the country giving strength to Israelis in the post October 7th world. We also studied together with Aish Rabbis, led by Rabbi Dov Ber Cohen, growing spiritually and closer together as couples. One of the most beautiful moments I have ever experienced was attending a double marriage ceremony on the roof of the Dan Family Aish World Center building. I felt so blessed that Andrea and Stuart Hytman, members of the Dan family, were there to join in. This is why we built the building!
The Moss and Mandelmans decided to renew their vows in a Jewish ceremony just shortly before the start of Shabbos. The Aish Yeshiva students joined in to make it a truly festive event. Both couples spoke about how it elevated their marriage to the next level. You can read about this incredible event on Aish.com.
The second celebration was at Tel HaShomer hospital. We came together to spread joy to many of the wounded soldiers there. As such, we brought a musician with us so we could serenade these heroes. We were moved to learn that many of the soldiers either had recently been married or were engaged. We met the most wonderful women who were there taking care of their beloved partners. We kept singing wedding songs over and over. Some of these soldiers had undergone multiple surgeries and still had hurdles to overcome. Yet, their love for the Almighty, the Jewish Nation, each other, and their beloved partners, was overwhelming. There was not a dry eye in the hospital as we overtook the rec room and kept singing.
Towards the end of that visit, we met with Dvir Dangur. He was in a wheelchair and had been through many surgeries. He started to tell his story and I videotaped it because I understood that this conversation would be special. He told us about the mission, and about a booby trap that put him in the hospital. When he woke up days later he kept asking his mother about his friends. She just kept repeating that everyone that made it to the hospital was alive.
A few days after he woke up, he was finally told that his best friend and IDF partner, Shalev Zaltzman was killed in the explosion that had put him in a wheelchair. He started to tell us how special Shalev was, and that Shalev was the happiest person who had the biggest smile. Dvir said he felt it was his obligation to tell the world about Shalev. I asked Dvir if I could share his story with my brothers and sisters at Aish. He told me he would be honored and thrilled as he wanted the world to know what a hero and tzadik Shalev was. I had no words, so I gave him a hug.
My friends, what is family? Family is a bond so strong that we would give our lives for each other. Family is the strongest form of love in the world. Family is why we were created and placed on this earth. The Jewish people are the strongest family ever known to man. Dvir and Shalev may not have been birthed by the same biological mother, but they were brothers. Family also stands by one another no matter what the circumstances. No matter what the consequences.
I know things seem bleak for Jews around the world. The hate we are encountering is unprecedented in our lifetime. Yet, if we stand together united by the bonds of family we will emerge stronger, joined by the unbreakable bond of love. The love that I saw last week among the couples on our Aish Mission. The love that I saw in Tel HaShomer Hospital. The love that I saw between Dvir and Shalev. The love that we feel for our Creator. That love will carry the day. That love will make us victorious over the vile haters of the world. I love you all. You are my brothers and sisters. You are my family.
