As Israel and the US face complex security and diplomatic challenges, the second Israel Hayom Summit will convene in New York on Nov. 11 to address the most pressing issues on the agenda between the two allies.
The summit, to be held at the InterContinental hotel in Times Square and broadcast live on the Israel Hayom website and app, will be hosted by senior journalist and military analyst Yoav Limor. Prominent Jewish community leaders will also attend, including Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, Eric Fingerhut and former US Rep. Ted Deutch.
The summit's opening session will focus on security, with panelists discussing the strategic and intelligence partnership between Israel and the US, among other issues. The second session will turn to economic affairs, exploring the role of Israeli companies in the global marketplace and the business sector's responsibility toward Israeli society and the economy.
Yaffa Ben David, secretary-general of the Israel Teachers Union, will also participate in the session, addressing the role of education in shaping identity, Zionism and values, as well as the struggle over the future of teaching in Israel and teachers' rights.
"Over the past few years, educators have demonstrated more clearly than ever that they are not only the backbone and leading force of the education system, but also essential to keeping Israel's economy and society functioning," Ben David said ahead of the summit. "They were there when everything was falling apart, and today they are bringing communities back to life. A country that knows how to rely on them must also know how to stand by them."
The third session will examine the US-Israel alliance as it faces the challenges of a changing world. Two additional sessions will explore questions of Jewish identity, with particular emphasis on the younger generation of Jews around the world.
One of the summit's most moving events will take place in the reception area, where a photography exhibition will honor IDF widows who were pregnant when their husbands were killed during the Swords of Iron War, which began following the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.
Since Oct. 7, more than 400 women have been widowed and more than 1,000 children orphaned as a result of the war. Among the widows, 48 lost their husbands while pregnant, leaving them to cope simultaneously with profound grief, pregnancy and the prospect of giving birth without their partners.
Recognizing the need to support these women during such a sensitive and difficult period, the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization, in cooperation with the Defense Ministry, launched the "L'tzidech" ("By Your Side") program. The initiative was designed to provide each woman and her family with personalized support throughout pregnancy, childbirth, the first months after delivery and every subsequent stage of life.
The program provided participants with practical and personal assistance, including support from certified midwives, funding for medical tests not covered by Israel's national health insurance system, financial grants during the ninth month of pregnancy and after childbirth, breastfeeding consultations and overnight nursing services. Additional assistance helped families adjust to their dramatically changed circumstances.
Beyond practical support, the program also fostered a sense of connection and community, creating a space where women facing similar circumstances could meet, share their experiences, ask questions and find comfort in knowing that others understood what they were going through without having to explain everything.
