MARCH 17 • 2022 | 9

Ukraine may seem rather 
irrelevant to the tasks pre-
sented in our everyday lives, 
we must understand its 
similarities to Adolf Hitler’s 
1939 invasion of Poland. 
Hitler’s invasion was a 
sign of his intention to not 
only obtain more land, but 
also more influence. This 
invasion of a bordering 
country, like the ongoing 
Russo-Ukrainian conflict, 
would be the first act of 
Hitler’s regime, and the 
beginning of the genocide 
of 6 million Jewish people. 
Citizens of the world must 
not let Russia’s attack on its 
western neighbor lead to 
invasions on North Atlantic 
Treaty Organization 
(NATO) territory or any 
other independent nations.
Many politicians refer 

to the Russian invasion as 
an “unprovoked attack,” 
similar to Hitler’s assault 
on Poland. It is our obliga-
tion to educate ourselves 
on the reality of the cur-
rent situation and support 
Jewish people in Ukraine by 
donating resources and sup-
porting organizations for 
those attempting to flee to a 
neighboring country. 
Additionally, we should 
support Zionist organi-
zations because with the 
current trajectory of world 
annexation, it is impossible 
to predict how our right to 
freedom of religion, or our 
Israeli homeland, may be 
targeted in the future. 

Harry Shaevsky is a sophomore at 

Frankel Jewish Academy. This is the 

first in a series of essays from stu-

dents at Metro Detroit day schools.

those lands, saying it was sty-
mieing aliyah. 
Today, however, the situation 
in Israel is changing. 
The State of Israel has acted 
swiftly to assist Ukrainian 
Jewry. We have approved the 
transfer of NIS 15 million 
(some $4.5 million) to two large 
Jewish organizations on the 
ground for them to purchase 
food, medicine and other neces-
sities. The money is also being 
used to provide physical secu-
rity for Jewish communities in 
the country, a crucial necessity 
in such unstable times, and to 
help transport those seeking to 
reach the borders. 
In addition to this support, 
the Jewish Agency and Nativ 
have been working in incred-
ibly difficult circumstances 
to assist Jews in Ukraine who 
have requested to make aliyah 
during this time get that process 
moving. 
And of course, Israel’s foreign 

ministry has worked tirelessly 
to extract thousands of Israelis 
from the country, as is the 
responsibility of any sovereign 
country to its citizens. 
At the same time, the world 
Jewish community has mobi-
lized in full force to take care of 
our Jewish brothers and sisters 
facing the awful and perilous 
realities of modern warfare. 
Whether it is the incredible 
work of the Jewish Federations 
of North America, Keren 
Hayesod, the JDC, Chabad and 
numerous other groups, Jews 
around the world have come 
together at this moment in 
solidarity with their brethren in 
Ukraine. 
What we are witnessing 
in Israel, in particular, is the 
beginning of the emergence of 
a true sense of Jewish solidarity, 
in which the Jewish state seeks 
to assist all Jews, wherever they 
might be and where they are at 
the time of their distress. 

If Ukrainian Jews or any 
other Jewish community need 
Israel as a place of refuge, then 
we will of course welcome them 
with open arms. But we in Israel 
must be also be ready and will-
ing to assist Jews even if they do 
not wish to move to this coun-
try. The assistance that we have 
provided to Ukrainian Jewry is 
a crucial next step in solidifying 
Israeli solidarity with Diaspora 
Jews. And the provision of this 
aid is testament to the readiness 
of the Israeli government to 
look out for the wellbeing of the 
global Jewish people and our 
desire to take the lead on this 
front as well. 
The decision to extend 
this assistance received broad 
and positive coverage in the 
Israeli media and has helped to 
demonstrate to the Israeli public 
at large what Jewish peoplehood 
actually means. Israelis are now 
seeing in real time what people-
hood means, and what taking 

care of Jews abroad actually 
looks like. 

JEWISH PEOPLEHOOD
For me, Jewish peoplehood, 
the idea that we are indeed one 
people despite being dispersed 
around the globe, is a critical 
concept for the global Jewish 
people today. 
If Israel and its citizens can-
not understand how important 
its relationship with Diaspora 
Jewry is, the Jewish state is 
likely to become alienated from 
large parts of the Jewish peo-
ple, a trend which has already 
begun within certain demo-
graphics. 
Equally, world Jewry must 
also work to ensure that it does 
not lose its sense of belonging 
to the Jewish state, a key anchor 
for Jewish identity, culture and 
indeed security for the global 
Jewish people. 
The Jewish nation is small 

Hiipakka) who understands 
and speaks their military lan-
guage. This was most evident 
in the numerous meetings 
MIBA held with the Israel 
Ministry of Defense and the 
IAI Israel Aerospace Industries, 
the country’s major aerospace 
and aviation manufacture. 
No visit to Israel is complete 
without exploring the country’s 
fascinating history. We were 
hosted by the dynamic Father 
Kelly at Magdala, a crossroads 
of Jewish and Christian history. 
An active dig and archaeolog-
ical park on the shores of the 
Sea of Galilee, the site com-
memorates the public life and 
ministry of Jesus. Its modern 
church boasts magnificent 
mosaic floors and installations, 
all inspired by the recent dis-
coveries from the ancient syna-

gogues and public structures in 
the town. 
This successful week of 
visits lay the groundwork for 
the upcoming MIBA defense 
delegation of 15 Michigan 
companies this month. They 
will meet with Israeli corpo-
rate counterparts, government 
representatives and participate 
in ISDEF, an annual Israeli 
defense conference that hosts 
more than 100 Israeli inter-
national exhibitors. We are 
looking forward to turning our 
delegations back on and host-
ing our friends from Michigan 
to Israel. 

Naomi Miller is Director of Israel 

Partnerships at the MIBA and Director 

of Missions and Israel Representative 

at the Jewish Federation of 

Metropolitan Detroit.

OPERATION RE-CONNECT continued from page 6

continued on page 11

