“We need both communities, and we need them now more than ever.”

Representatives from two of Israel’s leading agencies that deal with Jewish communities outside Israel – the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism and The Jewish Agency for Israel – participated in a spirited panel discussion at the Jerusalem Post Conference in New York on Monday on the bonds between Israel and the Diaspora.

“As long as there are Jews living abroad in the Diaspora,” said Ron Brummer of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, “our role, our mission as the ministry of the Diaspora, as an Israeli government, is to ensure a rich, prosperous, secure Jewish life abroad in every aspect – spiritually, from a security point of view, with the ability to combat antisemitism, to raise a family as if they were living in Israel with all possibilities that there are of having a rich, valuable Jewish life abroad.”

Dan Elbaum of The Jewish Agency for Israel said that the organization believes that every Jew, no matter where they live, has the right to live as a Jew wherever they please. He highlighted his satisfaction both in recent aliyah numbers and in other forms of Jewish expression. “We’ve been thrilled to see a wave of aliyah since October 7,” he said.  “But I’ve been just as thrilled and inspired to see college students, other American Jews, and Jews around the world standing up for Israel in such a strong way. We need both communities, and we need them now more than ever.”

Elbaum detailed the rise in aliyah, noting that 85,000 Jews from Russia and Ukraine made aliyah to Israel through The Jewish Agency since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. He added that since October 7, over 17,500 Jews from around the world have made aliyah. “That is something amazing, that is something that should inspire us,” he added.

Brummer described the numerous ways in which the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs assists the Jewish community outside Israel. “It’s not only about assistance in protecting the Jewish communities. But there is a huge part of education, connection to Israel, giving Jewish identity – these are things that are part of the security of Jews abroad. When we combat antisemitism, we enhance the tools and the capabilities of Jews abroad to combat antisemitism by education and obviously by securing Jewish life,” he said.

He noted that the fight against antisemitism is about the resilience and strength of Jewish communities and education, and mentioned the importance of the online struggle against antisemitism. “We are in the middle of cognitive warfare,” said Brummer, “And in this cognitive warfare, we are losing. In order to win, we need much more coordination and cooperation between all entities and organizations that deal with this sacred mission of combating antisemitism. We need to be smarter than the other side. We need to use the capabilities that we have as Jews, as pro-Israel advocates, to win this cognitive warfare, which is as important as the real warfare that is happening right now in Gaza and Lebanon and elsewhere.”

Elbaum concluded the panel by encouraging those considering aliyah to work through Nefesh B’Nefesh and The Jewish Agency. He praised the work of the Agency’s shlichim – young Israeli emissaries spending time educating and teaching young Jews in the Diaspora. “These shlichim are doing such incredible work. It’s an honor to have them as part of our community, and it’s an honor to have them in the Jewish community.”

The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism and The Jewish Agency for Israel sponsored a portion of the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference. www.jpost.com/AC24