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Welcome to the October edition of the Jewish Future Promise Newsletter.

Promisers to date: The Jewish Future Promise reached 78,950 Signers, and the Jewish Youth Promise now has 25,272 Youth Signers.
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This Is Why We Persevere

All October long, we have embraced what it means to be Jewish. We welcomed Rosh Hashanah and the new year, reflected on Yom Kippur, and shook the lulav during Sukkot. Tomorrow night, we will dance during Simchat Torah and turn the page to begin a year anew.
It is difficult to reflect on the events of the past year, especially given that in 2023 Simchat Torah took place on October 7.
Yet, these holidays are the exact reason why we persevere. We still commemorated our Jewish holidays during the Holocaust. We still commemorated throughout the Yom Kippur War in 1973. We still commemorate this year, with a global tide of antisemitism only adding fuel to our fire.
We endure the darkest of days in order to keep the Jewish people’s path illuminated for a brighter future.
I created the Jewish Future Promise to keep the flame burning long after my time, and to remind the world that the pride and resilience of the Jewish people remains undefeated.
Yom Tov,
Mike Leven
Founder, Jewish Future Promise

New & Newsworthy
[link removed] Jewish Leadership in Crisis: How Rabbis Must Guide Us forward after the October 7 [ [link removed] ]th Terrorist Attack and Yom Kippur [ [link removed] ]– Times of Israel, also featured in eJewish Philanthropy
[link removed] Mike Leven’s Rosh Hashanah Message for 2024 [ [link removed] ]– Atlanta Jewish Times
[link removed] Fostering Interfaith Dialogue: Building a Bigger Tent for the Jewish [ [link removed] ]Community – Times of Israel

How-To : Find New Ways to Advocate for the Jewish People

The Jewish Future matters to you, but not everyone in your life may feel as strongly.
If you haven’t explored already, please check out our [link removed] Conversations That Matter resources [ [link removed] ]. These resources will help you start important dialogues about why it’s essential to give Jewishly and actively help Jewish organizations continue their critical missions.
Looking for new ways to advocate for the Jewish people? Our colleagues at the Anti-Defamation League have [link removed] resources [ [link removed] ]for:
1. [link removed] Sending a letter to your university [ [link removed] ], calling on university leaders to act now to counter antisemitism on campus this school year
2. [link removed] Responding to College Fundraising Requests [ [link removed] ]
3. [link removed] Forming a Jewish Employee Resource Group [ [link removed] ]
Click on each of the links above for more details. In case you missed it earlier this year, make sure to read [link removed] our Promiser Spotlight with Abe Foxman [ [link removed] ], National Director Emeritus of the ADL.

Promiser Spotlight: Eli Wininger

Eli Wininger is a Los Angeles native, and recently returned to the United States after serving in Gaza as a member of the Israel Defense Forces.
Why does Israel’s existence matter to you?
My grandfather is a Holocaust survivor, while my mom’s parents escaped religious persecution from Tunisia. In both cases, they made their way to Israel. Israel saved my family on both sides, so I grew up very much feeling Israel is my home and the home of the Jewish people. While it wasn’t my birth home and I wasn’t living there, Israel felt like a home for my soul.
Tell us about re-enlisting in the IDF last year following the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel.
As soon as I heard about the attacks, I texted my officer from my first stint. He said he’d love to have me, but also understood if I wanted to stay in the U.S. where my life was. It took me one second to make the decision to go back. I couldn’t imagine a situation where my brothers were out there fighting for their lives and defending their families, and I was living a comfortable life in the U.S.
It’s the story I would have wanted to tell my future children or grandchildren. Just like our ancestors did in 1948 or during the Yom Kippur War, this is what I needed to do after October 7. As scared as I was, I knew very much what I wanted my story to be. I booked my flight, and by October 10, 2023, I was in uniform.
What was it like fighting on the front lines in Gaza?
I think often about a quote from G.K. Chesterton that says, “the true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” Israeli soldiers in Gaza have a high sense of purpose. A resolute belief in defending Israel, defending our families and our land, and bringing back our hostages meant that morale was high.
Despite what you might see on the news, we fought to save both Israeli and Palestinian lives. We were in Gaza not to create any unnecessary harm, but to carry out our Jewish values in order to do good, find the hostages, and save our country.
Why did you sign the Jewish Future Promise, and why is it so important to support Jewish organizations?
When we needed the world on October 7, they turned their backs on us right away. There are so few of us, so we need to have each other’s backs and stand strong as a united front. That means stepping up financially and supporting your Jewish brothers and sisters. At the end of the day, we are all a big tribe and must feel that unity and act upon it.
Read Eli’s full promiser spotlight article [link removed] here [ [link removed] ]

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