Jeffrey Gopen’s Rosh Hashanah Message for 2025

This October marks two years since the atrocities of Oct. 7, 2023. The pain from that day still feels raw, so present it could have been yesterday. In the time since, the brave men and women of Israel have carried a heavy burden: fighting to bring the hostages home, to protect their communities, and to restore peace to the land of milk and honey. They have faced not only relentless violence on the battlefield but also the weight of condemnation from the press, foreign governments, and social media. And yet, they perserve. They’re fighting with courage: for freedom, for life, for the very right of Israel and Israelis to exist in a land for the Jewish people.

This holiday season, I hold deep gratitude and respect for them, and for everyone in Israel. May they know that they are not alone. We are supporting them. We are praying for them. We are standing beside them as they fight to root out terrorism in the Middle East.

I pray that next Rosh Hashanah, every hostage will be reunited with loved ones, and every Israeli will be able to gather for the holy days free of fear, for their families, their future, their lives. This month reminds us of grief, yes. But it also reminds us of the power of hope and prayer. The strength we find in community. And the unwavering resilience of Israel.

What happened on Oct. 7 was a tragedy beyond anything I have witnessed in my lifetime. May we never forget. And may we always stand tall, together, against terror.

Am Israel Chai.

Jeffrey Gopen is the President and CEO of Jewish HomeLife.