Rabbi's Commentary

Hope Amid the Devastation

November 22, 2013

Dear Friend of Israel,
The recent typhoon in the Philippines has caused large-scale devastation. Thousands have died, many more have been injured, and millions have been displaced.
The humanitarian response has been swift, and one of the first nations to send aid was Israel. Dubbed “Operation Islands of Hope,” the Israeli relief effort, spearheaded by the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) National Search and Rescue Unit, has already provided medical assistance and aid to thousands. The IDF repaired a school so that classes could go on as usual in the midst of the crisis. Israeli doctors have been treating hundreds of patients a day, including those with chronic illnesses who are seeing a doctor for the first time ever. Shortly after opening the doors of their field hospital, they even delivered a baby – the first among several they have delivered in the Philippines to date – and the grateful parents announced that they would name the boy “Israel.”
In fact, Israel’s response in the Philippines should come as no surprise. The Jewish state has a long history of reaching out to the world in the event of severe storms, floods, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. As Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu put it after dispatching a relief team to assist survivors of the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, "This is the true heritage of the state of Israel and the Jewish people. This act joins similar actions we have taken in the past in Mexico, Kenya, and Turkey. We may be a small country, but we are a country with a big heart. This is the expression of Jewish ethics and heritage – to help others."
This is a side of Israel the world sees far too little of, not because it’s not there, but because world governments and media choose so often to focus on Israel’s faults – real or imagined – to the exclusion of all else. But, as Netanyahu so eloquently said in his quote, the real story of Israel – of what Israel is as a nation, and who Israelis are as a people – differs greatly from the portrayal of Israel in the media. With Israel’s humanitarian efforts in the Philippines, the world is seeing that Israel is a nation that seeks to reach beyond its borders to make the world a better place – to be the “light unto the nations” mentioned in Isaiah 49:6.
In the wake of this tragedy, let us pray for the people of the Philippines who have suffered so greatly, and who face such formidable challenges as they seek to recover from this disaster and rebuild their country. And let us also give thanks to God for aid workers, including those from Israel, who have gone to the Philippines to help the victims – for those who give hope and comfort to those in dire need. May their efforts be successful, and may we all see the day when God blesses our world with His most precious gift of shalom, peace.
With prayers for shalom, peace,

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
Founder and President