The world seemed to drown in a sea of orange this past week as even nature itself mourned alongside us. My friend Peter Kash sent me a photo of the Herzliya glowing orange, the sunset bathed the sky in a deep, fiery hue. It was as if the heavens themselves wept for the Bibas family as we laid them to rest.
At the same time, in New York, the Empire State Building was lit up orange, and in Paris and Budapest, other monuments were also lit up in honor of the slain family. For one heartbreaking moment, it felt like the entire world understood our pain and shared our grief.
And yet, even in those sacred hours of mourning, there were those who could not allow us even a sliver of peace. At Columbia University, as Jewish students lit up the Alma Mater statue on campus in orange in solidarity, antisemitic mobs occupied a campus building, screaming for a “Global Intifada.” These hateful voices did not merely disrupt a university- they desecrated our grief, spitting venom while we buried our children.
This is why our upcoming documentary, “Frontline Warriors: The Fight Against Campus Antisemitism,” is so crucial right now. This film tells the powerful, painful story of Aish Ha’am students on the frontlines of Columbia, Harvard, and UCLA, standing up against the most blatant displays of Jew-hatred seen on university campuses since Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Go to frontlinewarriorsfilm.com to watch the preview or schedule a screening in your hometown. We cannot look away. We cannot remain silent.
This week, I attended the 2025 AIPAC Congressional Summit with Aish’s North American Executive Director, Kevin Fried. I’ve had a strong relationship with AIPAC’s leadership for years and was honored to be at their marquee event, joining so many Aish partners lobbying for Israel. The summit was not only an opportunity to stand with those who fight for our people, it was a reminder of the deep, unwavering support we have from allies around the world.
After one of the sessions, as I waited for the elevator, a young Jewish woman noticed that my name badge said “Rabbi” on it, and asked if she could speak with me. She had been discussing something with her Christian friend, who had attended the summit as well. When Speaker of the House Mike Johnson addressed the convention, he cited the Almighty’s promise to Abraham:
“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.”
Her Christian friend felt deeply connected to this verse, explaining that his support for Israel was rooted in these words. But the young woman was troubled. She turned to me and asked, “Isn’t that problematic? Doesn’t it suggest that Jews believe we’re superior to everyone else?”
I looked at her and gently explained:
“This is not our declaration, it is G-d’s. The Almighty has set forth an eternal truth: the Jewish people are His chosen nation. But chosen does not mean superior. It means responsible.”
For over 3,000 years, the Jewish people have carried the moral and ethical torch of humanity. We have brought justice, kindness, and wisdom to the world, often at great personal cost. And now, in the darkest of times, our enemies try to turn the tables on us, accusing us of the very evils we have always fought against.
Being chosen is not about privilege. It is about obligation. It is about standing firm when the world wants us to crumble. It is about shouldering the sacred duty to be a light unto the nations.
Or, as the great American philosopher Spider-Man once put it: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
This is the challenge so many Jews face today. Instead of embracing our mission, some feel embarrassed by it. But we must never shrink from who we are. We must proclaim it with pride, there is no greater privilege than being a Jew.
We will never stop fighting for a better world.
We will never stop being the Almighty’s partners.
We will never stop standing up to bullies and murderers.
This is the mission of Aish. We take responsibility for humanity with hearts full of love, armed with the wisdom of our Torah.
I urge you to join the Aish Ha’am movement. Be part of the greatest assembly of goodness the world has ever seen. Go to aish.com/vote and register today.
The world needs us now more than ever.
