Just weeks before he fell in battle in southern Lebanon, Capt. Dr. Ori Yosef Silvester, a physician with the Givati Brigade's Shaked Battalion, traveled to the Jewish community in Howard County, Maryland, on a short mission as part of the Jewish Agency's "Shlichim in Uniform" program.
Ori did not arrive with presentations about Israel. He brought something far more powerful: himself. His story, his values, his compassion and his sense of purpose. Within days, he had forged a deep bond with members of the community. Israel was no longer a distant country or a newspaper headline. It had a face, a voice and a personal story. Israel was Ori.
Earlier this month, in a poignant and heartbreaking homecoming of sorts, his wife, Dr. Shahar Silvester, who had also served as a battalion physician in the Givati Brigade, returned to that same community with members of his family. They stood on the stage where Ori had stood, met the people he had met and heard how he had touched their lives. What began as a brief encounter had grown into a profound connection, and that connection had become a lasting commitment and a shared memory.
That is the power of human connection. In a matter of days, it can achieve what a thousand speeches cannot accomplish in years. Our challenge is to turn that spark into a flame that will continue to burn for generations to come.
Since October 7, 2023, the Jewish people have faced grief and loss, the enormous task of rebuilding communities in Israel's south and north, and rising antisemitism and a growing sense of insecurity among Jewish communities worldwide. One truth is now clearer than ever: There is no State of Israel without Diaspora Jewry, and no Diaspora Jewry without the State of Israel. Our destinies are intertwined, and so is our responsibility for the future.
We need a partnership rooted in action, volunteering, education, aliyah (immigration to Israel) and building a future together. Young Jews from around the world must come to Israel, meet its people, work alongside their Israeli peers, volunteer in communities across the Negev and Galilee, and take part in rebuilding the communities devastated by war. They must feel that they are not merely visitors, but partners in shaping Israel's future and, in doing so, their own.
Equally, we must reach out to Jewish communities around the world, listen to them, understand the challenges they face and strengthen their sense of belonging and mutual responsibility.
Above all, this is an educational challenge. Jewish-Zionist identity takes root through personal encounters, shared endeavors and a sense of purpose and responsibility. These are the meaningful experiences that stay with people throughout their lives and shape the choices they make.
Next week, hundreds of Jewish leaders and community representatives will gather in Tel Aviv for the Jewish Agency's Board of Governors meeting. We must set a clear goal: Expand opportunities for young Israelis and Jews from around the world to connect, turn the rebuilding effort into a collective mission of mutual responsibility, strengthen Jewish-Zionist education and encourage aliyah.
Ori embarked on a brief mission, but the bond he forged lives on. His story is proof of the extraordinary impact one person can have. Imagine what we could achieve through thousands of encounters like his.
We must act as one people. The story we pass on to future generations will be written through the actions we take together to build our shared future.
The writer is Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel.
