August 2024 NEWSLETTER

People hold flags and banners during a rally in support of Israel, post Oct. 7th (AP Photo/John Locher)

Before October 7th, the Jewish community was divided. For decades, there were clear and complex splits. How vocal should we be in calling out antisemitism? What’s the appropriate level of support for the State of Israel? Disputes and disagreements on these questions had become commonplace. Since the October 7th massacre and the tsunami of antisemitism that followed, things have changed. The Jewish community is increasingly unified, determined, and energized.

In our most recent op-ed “From Apathy to Action: The Revival of Jewish Determination,” we delve into the evolution of Jewish pride, built over centuries, and explore different ways to sustain our collective momentum that was reignited after October 7th. The past year, our community has been active, determined, and organized. The momentum is clear. We must capitalize on it. In our piece, we recommend steps to ensure this wave of resilience and determination continues to grow and multiply.

In 2021, we published an op-ed titled, "Fight Antisemitism: ‘Never Again’ Must Be Backed By Actions," ensuring the term “Never Again” includes concrete action to create a lasting, unbreakable, impact. The term was first used after the Holocaust. It’s intention was to ensure that the atrocities of the Holocaust would never be repeated, and it was championed by Jews and human rights activists. Since October 7^th, the term evolved into "Never Again Is Now." It’s used to reignite the urgent need for Jewish safety worldwide. It has become clear to all Jews, as we also discuss in the article, that the pledge of “Never Again” cannot be an empty phrase. The Jewish community must continue to unify, as we have done over the last year, and take concrete action to combat antisemitism and prevent future anti-Jewish atrocities.

Our community’s collective pride, passion, and perseverance is unparalleled. Let's use it to protect and support our people and fight for our safety. 

If you're interested in partnering with us to fight antisemitism, support the State of Israel, and protect American democracy, we would love to hear from you. 

Lastly, we invite you to learn about StandStrong, a nonprofit organization empowering individuals with the mental mindset and physical self-defense skills to be confident, safe, and proud in who they are and what they believe.

Wishing you all a fantastic rest of your month,

Gila and Adam Milstein

The Impact Forum is an exclusive network of philanthropists based in Los Angeles. Its mission is to introduce like-minded donors to each other and connect them to exceptional nonprofit organizations that fight antisemitism, strengthen American democracy, and support the State of Israel.

The goal of the Impact Forum events is to convene donors and to provide financial support to innovative and effective nonprofits. 

Our next Impact Forum event will take place on November 11th, 2024, and will include presentations by UN Watch and Middle East Forum as well as a keynote speech by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

If you are interested in joining our upcoming event on November 11th, kindly fill out this Google form. Please be advised that space is limited. Please also note that filling out this form does not guarantee your spot. We will send you an email to confirm your registration. Preference will be given to philanthropists who have donated at past events.

To learn more about the mission and work of the Impact Forum Foundation, click here to watch Adam Milstein's interview with the Jerusalem Post from April 8, 2024.

Stand by Me is a nonprofit organization led by Gila Milstein since 2009. Its mission is to provide daily support to Israeli-American cancer patients and their families living in Los Angeles.

Please consider donating to ensure that Stand by Me can continue to fulfill its mission to make sure no one faces cancer alone in our community.

Watch this heartwarming video here to learn more about Stand By Me

Stand By Me is in need of psychologists and therapists who can donate their time to provide emotional support and assistance to our members and their families.

If you would like to join our family of volunteers, please fill out this form or call our office at (818) 664-4100. 

"To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world."

For more information, please visit our website at www.StandByMeLA.org

This article was originally published in the Jerusalem Post on June 10, 2021.

"We must actively work to ensure that activities, organizations, and movements promoting Jew-hatred will not result in mass genocide occurring again. To do so, we must expose and hold the perpetrators of hate and violence accountable. To stop Jew-hatred we must not only focus on teaching about the lessons of the Holocaust, but we must also learn from them and act vigorously to prevent it from happening again. We must unite in pushing for the widespread adoption of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism, particularly when passing legislation mandating Holocaust education.

History has shown us that “The hate that begins with Jews never ends with Jews.” When we say “Never Again,” let us take action to prevent a future holocaust."

StandStrong is a not-for profit organization empowering individuals with a mental mindset and the physical self-defense skills to be confident, safe and proud in who they are and what they believe.

We deliver programs on a national scale working with partners such as schools, synagogues, summer camps, college campus groups and local agencies like Jewish Federations, JCC, IAC and StandWithUs. Our courses are heavily subsidized through generous donors to ensure that participants of all ages, ability levels and backgrounds can take part in these life changing and potentially lifesaving classes.

Our curriculum philosophy is grounded in providing participants with a toolkit of skills applicable in real life situations, along with a mentality that we are not looking for a fight, but we will also not become victims of antisemitic hatred and bullying.

We are so grateful to the Milstein Family Foundation for their support of our mission to ensure communities across the country stand up for American values and for Israel in a safe and confident manner.

To learn more about our organization, or to donate in support of our mission, click HERE.

MFF is proud to support StandStrong