By: Renée Rockford
President & CEO
“When it rains on a Jew in Israel, a Jew in America puts up an umbrella.” I was reminded of this idiom earlier this week while in New York at a meeting of Jewish leaders from across America and Canada. I suddenly realized, in the wake of the firebomb attack in Boulder, that this saying about Jewish unity and mutual responsibility needed to be reversed. It is now our friends in Israel who are holding the umbrella.
After the horrific firebombing of Run for Their Lives participants in Boulder earlier this month, the Colorado Jewish community quickly came together to support our friends and family there. And as we rushed to help Boulder, the very first calls of support for us came from Israel. Less than 12 hours after the attack, Yehuda Setton, Director General of the Jewish Agency, wrote to me, “We woke up to the horrific news from Colorado – such painful and deeply troubling reports. It’s hard to believe that this happened in your own community, in your home. I am thinking about all of you, your families, and your employees.”
A short time later, Mayor Eran Doron, leader of the Ramat HaNegev Regional Council, wrote, “Ramat HaNegev and Boulder are not only sister cities. We are partners, friends, and family. We reached out to express our love and support — and today, we say it again: you are not alone. Our hearts are with the injured, with the Jewish community of Boulder and Colorado, and with all those who believe in dignity, peace, and the right to speak out without fear. May healing come swiftly, and may you find strength in one another — and in the many of us who stand firmly with you.”
Former JEWISHcolorado Shaliach Itai Divinisky quickly sent this message of support: “Dear Friends, Unfortunately, we are too familiar with the effects terror has on a community and the hard work of providing support to a community in shock. We send our love and support to you and other leaders that will lead the community forward out of this episode.”
And, upon hearing about the terror attack, the students in the SELA program in Nitzana recorded and sent this message.
Then Major General (Res.) Doron Almog, Chairman of the Jewish Agency and Board Chair Mark Wilf emailed, “This brutal assault, is a painful reminder of the ongoing threat of antisemitism in our time, echoing some of the darkest chapters of our shared history. In this difficult hour, we want you to know that you are not alone. Just as you have always stood by our side, especially since the tragic massacre of October 7, we stand with you now and will continue to do so in whatever way you may need. This is the essence of mutual responsibility. This is our unbreakable bond and shared destiny.”
It was still before 10 am, when there came a personal phone call from Israeli President Isaac Herzog, telling me, “This vile act of terror is a painful reminder that antisemitism knows no borders. But let me be clear: we will never let terror win. The American and Israeli peoples stand united — determined to bring all our hostages home and to ensure no Jew, anywhere, stands alone.”
And now, another saying that comes to mind: “Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh,” which translates to “all Jews are responsible for one another.” In these trying times, unity, solidarity, and Arvut Hadadit (mutual responsibility) have never been more important. With gratitude to our friends in Israel for all the support, may we all work together toward a better tomorrow. Shabbat Shalom.
Please email Renée Rockford at rrockford@jewishcolorado.org with questions or comments.