A Message from Steven Ingber, Federation CEO
Earlier this week, the body of Sgt. Ran Gvili was returned to Israel. He was the last of the hostages to come home — 168 living and 85 who were tragically murdered. May all their memories be for a blessing.
A page has been turned in the history of the October 7 massacre, but the story doesn’t end here. The work ahead is immense: to rebuild shattered communities, and to heal wounds that run deep through the people of Israel, and Jews throughout the world.
Still, this is a moment to pause and reflect, with gratitude, that we can at last take down our hostage banners, remove our dog tags, throw away our lawn signs and breathe a collective sigh of relief. For the first time in more than a decade, there are no Israeli hostages being held in Gaza.
We give thanks to the brave men and women of the IDF who fought with courage to defend our homeland. And we honor the resilience and spirit of the Israeli people, who have carried the flame of klal Yisrael through 843 days of unimaginable difficulty.
Finally, we can be profoundly grateful for the passion and commitment of our Detroit Jewish community.
I am extremely proud of our part in a historic movement united by a single goal: to bring them home. Your voices, joined with millions of others in communities worldwide, have surely made a difference.
Tomorrow is another day, and there will no doubt still be challenges ahead. But today, on behalf of the Jewish Federation, I want to simply say thank you.
Your love and concern, your generosity, and your unwavering support over these last two and half years have meant so much to so many.
May we continue to stand tall, show up for one another, and to remind the Jewish people everywhere that we are never alone.
Am Yisrael Chai.