12 | NOVEMBER 23 • 2023 

T

he March for Israel held Nov. 14 on 
the National Mall in Washington, 
D.C., drew nearly 300,000 people 
to proclaim their support for Israel, to 
demand the release of the 240 hostages 
and to decry the surge in antisemitism. 
Participants included Jews and non-Jews, 
old and young, and people of all races, 
backgrounds and political persuasions. 
And Detroit showed up in force.
“Today’s crowd brings together every 
sector of American life … to say together 
with unity and strength, ‘We support 
Israel’s fight to rid itself of the terror 
threat and restore safety and security to 
its people,’” Eric Fingerhut, president and 
CEO of the Jewish Federations of North 
America (JFNA), a march co-sponsor, told 
the crowd. 
“We have indeed made history today 
… This is the largest pro-Israel gathering 
in [U.S.] history,” William Daroff, CEO 
of the Conference of Presidents of Major 
American Jewish Organizations, the other 
march co-sponsor, told participants. 
The national event was planned quickly, 
giving the Jewish Federation of Detroit just 
six days to come up with a plan that grew 
to include three chartered planes bringing 

900 Detroiters to Dulles International 
Airport. However, an alleged boycott 
by drivers from a private bus company 
impacted their experience, allowing less 
than two-thirds to make it to the march, 
and then only for a limited time. 
Naomi Leiberman, 13, of Farmington 
Hills, an eighth-grader at Farmington 
STEAM Academy, was excited to be at the 
march, regardless of delays. 
“I really wanted to come,
” Naomi 
said. “It’s a historical thing, and I wanted 
to be part of it and be able to tell my 
children and children’s children. It was 
really exciting to see a lot of people going 
through the same experiences. I saw a lot 
of kids from camp … It felt like we were all 
connected.
” 
Naomi was accompanied by her mom, 
Brooke Leiberman, whose husband, 
Chaim, is Israeli. He’s a physician who was 
volunteering in Israel during the march. 
“It was important to take Naomi,
” she 
said. “It is part of Jewish history to take a 
stand, and I wanted her to feel she’s making 
a difference, that she’s proud of who she is, 
to be a proud Jew. And it’s important to see 
so many people standing with her. For me, 
it was powerful … to see that energy and 

to see that hope for us as a people.
” 
The Leibermans voiced common 
threads that ran among those gathered 
— the feeling of togetherness, of being 
part of a family, of supporting each 
other in challenging times. Most of the 
Jewish speakers, who included actress 
Debra Messing, Deborah Lipstadt (U.S. 
Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat 
Antisemitism), Senate Majority Leader 
Chuck Schumer, Natan Sharansky and 
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, celebrated 
this solidarity. 

“Witnessing and participating alongside 
hundreds of thousands of fellow Jews on 
the National Mall, showing their fervent 
support of Israel, was one of the most 
moving experiences I have participated 
in in my life,
” said Marc Kowalsky of 
Bloomfield Hills, who came to the march 
with his two brothers. 
“The clear message to the world from 
the participants and the varied speakers 
is that ‘never again’ is now and that the 
hostages must be freed.
”

A highlight of the event was hearing 
from family members of three of the 240 
people captured by Hamas.
“Hearing these three strong, articulate 

OUR COMMUNITY
COVER STORY

Naomi Leiberman, 13, 
of Farmington Hills at 
the march with her sign, 
Together We Will Win

COURTESY BROOKE LEIBERMAN

