“59. The most important measurement.”
This sign dominates the lobby of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange—just under the ticker tape reflecting stock prices.
It’s a reference to the 59 hostages still held in Gaza. And it is a stark reminder that Israelis prioritize life. It encapsulated the dual messages that I experienced throughout my trip.
I was in Israel before Passover to participate in the “Amplify Investor Summit”—a pilot program to bring together global investors, innovators and industry leaders in Israel’s vibrant tech ecosystem. Local philanthropic funder The Russell Berrie Foundation served as a lead sponsor for this thought-provoking and energizing conference.
We met with top-level venture capital and private equity firms, heard inspiring speakers, enjoyed fine dining in vibrant eateries, and saw signs of strong and resilient people.
Life in Israel is full of contradictions. Strength, resilience, ingenuity and optimism coexist with grief, anger and loss.
Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are bustling with life and new construction. Diners enjoy nightlife. Thousands of runners and music-makers celebrate the Jerusalem Marathon though too many T-shirts show images of fallen soldiers.
Yet “Bring Them Home” signs abound on every street. Even the airport has constant reminders of the hostages—with photos and placards in the global entry scanners and the pedestrian ramp which leads to the customs and baggage claim areas.
Yellow ribbons, empty yellow chairs, red poppy flowers which invoke Kibbutz Be’eri, and placards with pleas to leave no one behind extend well beyond “Hostage Square.”
Hostage Square, centrally located in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, has become the official headquarters for the hostage families to gather, protest, grieve, honor, memorialize their loved ones who were victims of Hamas’ brutal massacre and abductions on Oct. 7, 2023.
There, visitors can speak with representatives of the terrorized kibbutzim and other Southern communities; they can play a piano erected in honor of Alon Ohel, a classically trained Israeli pianist who is still held by Hamas; view photos, keepsakes and art installations; tell the stories of hostages alive and murdered. An improvised tunnel simulates the horrific conditions hostages endure. And a giant clock ticks the seconds, minutes, hours and too many days that have passed since that fateful date.
In the South, close to the Gaza border, I visited the site of the Nova Music Festival where 364 partygoers were murdered and 40 more were abducted. Some 7,000 visitors go there daily—to bear witness to the makeshift memorials erected in an open field that provided little cover when it was overrun by terrorists. Despite all I had read or watched beforehand, I was struck by how exposed the revelers would have been. How frantically they ran with no place to hide. Garbage bins and coolers behind the bar provided scant refuge.
In nearby Kibbutz Nahal Oz, bullet holes are visible in the sides of houses in an otherwise tranquil setting. Moran Friebach, head of the kibbutz’s agriculture and general hero, gave us a tour, explaining how the terrorists infiltrated the kibbutz and destroyed specific irrigation valves that supported their agriculture. He understood that their goal was not only to murder Israelis on Oct. 7, but to imperil their ability to sustain agricultural production that serves as Israel’s breadbasket. Which is why Friebach and key helpers have moved back, and, with support from Jewish Federation’s national Emergency Campaign and gifts that came directly from our Federation, are investing in new irrigation systems, replacing burned-out tractors, repairing their chicken coops and cow milking parlors, replanting produce, and harvesting, harvesting, harvesting! What a thrill and joy to see and smell green fields, budding produce, banana plants, and tons of potatoes being unearthed. How wonderful it is to feel inspired and hopeful amidst persistent reminders of war and destruction.
Just beyond the border fence lay a gray Gaza skeleton. If only Hamas had invested in building lives instead of fueling destruction—using their resources to plant and grow, rather than to dig terror tunnels. If only they had chosen to embrace life instead of death.
A final stop brought us to Moshav Netiv HaAsara, famous for its “Peace Wall.” Paragliders infiltrated this idyllic community, killing 20 members including two high schoolers who had gone fishing that fateful morning. The community has been displaced since the war and is gradually returning. They are so close to the Gaza border that bomb explosions and smoke plumes were clearly heard and seen during our visit. But the community is resilient, aiming to rebuild, stronger.
Jon Polin, father of Hersh, z’l, joined our group for the final dinner of our investor summit. Though he has endured unimaginable suffering, he is also hopeful. He has experienced the worst of humanity, but also the best of humanity. Invoking the investment purpose of our conference, he exalted Israel’s “human capital” to save each other and eschew helplessness. “What we experienced was grit and determination and ingenuity and commitment and drive,” he said. “We’ve been battered and we’ve been bruised. We’ve suffered the greatest losses, but we are finding our mojo. We’re rebuilding with a great sense of purpose and determination, and what we are all experiencing now is nothing short of Zionism 2.0.”
And still, he beseeched us—it is unfathomable that the hostages will spend another Passover in bondage. “We cannot forsake them. We cannot forget them.” For the Polins and the hostage families, the holiday of freedom could not be celebrated until all the hostages are home.
In their honor, we persist with the ancient Jewish cry, so resonant at this time of year—Let my people go!
Robin Rochlin is the managing director for endowment at the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey. She traveled recently to Israel as part of the Amplify Investor Summit.
