4 | NOVEMBER 28 • 2024 J
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here was a shift in her that 
many of us could relate to, 
a feeling that the events of 
Oct. 7 had flipped a switch within, 
prioritizing Jewish identity in ways 
that hadn’t been fully realized 
before.
The last time I walked into the 
General Assembly 
(G.A.) of the Jewish 
Federations of North 
America, it was in Tel 
Aviv in April 2023, a 
conference so weighed 
down by division 
that you could feel 
it the moment you 
entered the room. Back then, the 
gap between American Jews and 
Israelis had reached what felt like a 
breaking point.
The debate over Israel’s judicial 
reform was tearing the Jewish 
community apart. From opposite 
sides of the Atlantic, it felt like we 
were speaking different languages, 
our concerns and priorities on 
completely different planes. 
But here, in Washington, D.C., 
earlier this month, just a year-and-
a-half later, the atmosphere was 
charged with something new. You 
could sense it in the air — this year, 
they weren’t divided by ideology 
or identity. They were bonded, 
galvanized by a shared purpose 
and the shared trauma of what 
happened on Oct. 7.
That day changed everything, 
and it didn’t just close the 
ideological chasm; it erased it. 
Suddenly, the “why” of supporting 
Israel, the “why” of preserving 
Jewish identity, the “why” of being 
Jewish wasn’t up for debate. Now, 

the mission was clear to everyone 
in the room: they were no longer 
debating what needed to be done 
— the participants were consumed 
by the question of how to do it.
Washington, D.C., gave us 
autumn leaves and a brisk chill 
that seemed to mirror the tone of 
this year’s G.A. — sober, urgent, 
but profoundly determined. Gone 
was the usual back-and-forth over 
ideological nuances. 
Instead, everyone was focused, 
with eyes fixed not on abstract 
questions but on practical answers. 
The tone was set right from the 
start: It wasn’t about debating 
support for Israel; it was about 

making sure they knew how to do 
it well, sustainably and effectively 
in the face of a world that, now 
more than ever, seems eager to 
challenge us at every turn.
One of the speakers who 
captured this transformation 
perfectly was formerly Meta 
COO Sheryl Sandberg. She walked 
onstage looking every bit the 
accomplished business leader she 
is but spoke like someone who 
had rediscovered her own roots. 
She didn’t just talk about Jewish 
identity as a part of who she was 
— she owned it, saying, “Jewish 
identity is now as important a part 
of my identity as anything else.”

FLIPPING THE SWITCH
There was a shift in her that many 
of us could relate to, a feeling that 
the events of Oct. 7 had flipped a 
switch within, prioritizing Jewish 
identity in ways that hadn’t been 
fully realized before. “I am female, 
I am a business leader, I am an 
American, and I am a Jew — and I 
stand here as a proud Zionist and a 
proud Jew, in a way I wouldn’t have 
a year and a half ago.” 
 In that moment, she wasn’t 
just speaking for herself; she was 
speaking for an entire generation 
of Jews who are now stepping into 
their heritage with newfound pride 
and urgency.

PURELY COMMENTARY

Zvika Klein
Jerusalem 
Post

analysis

U.S. Jews Are No Longer Arguing 
About What Is Needed, Rather 
How to Implement It

Sheryl Sandberg (right) at the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly 

JEWISH FEDERATIONS OF NORTH AMERICA