Judge Altman Addresses Jewish National Fund

Can one passionate, erudite former football/baseball Ivy League “jock” change the world one heart at a time?

Judge Roy Altman, U.S. District Judge for the Southern District/Florida, addressed Jewish National Fund (JNF) supporters at Temple Sinai on May 19. Eyes were riveted on charismatic Altman as he shared his mission to escort non-Jews, especially judges and attorneys, to Israel to experience firsthand what’s happening amongst society “so they can internalize and defend against antisemitism.”

Altman gave out copies of his book, “Israel On Trial. Examining the History and Evidence, and the Law.”

Attorney Samantha Weidenbaum explained that JNF-USA’s mission is to build a stronger, more vibrant land of Israel by developing and strengthening its north and south. “Today, 80 percent of Israel’s population lives on 20 percent of the land. This reality presents a challenge, but for JNF-USA it is an opportunity,” she said.
Altman explained how his judgeship was a lifetime appointment, and he is careful to keep his ego in check as people always address him as “your honor” while wearing his flowing robe.

Describing the attacks of Oct. 7, his voice was noticeably emotional as he questioned why the United Nations condemns Israel for human rights violations.

“There seems to be moral confusion when other countries aren’t held to the same standards.”

We’ve heard all this before, but not through Altman’s eyes. His [free] trips to Israel with non-Jewish judges from all across the nation made him realize that “we are not alone.”

He visited churches with his fellow judges, including an Ash Wednesday service and some very sacred Christian spaces where he wanted to see the Holy Land also through their eyes. They found themselves in Jerusalem at 3 a.m., jogging in the Old City, watching the sunrise, and later, hiding in a shelter.

The judges watched areas where the rockets cascaded from Lebanon.

Altman said, “Judges from all over are nagging me to go on a trip. Feedback from some bordered on obsession. Aside from my children and marriage, this trip has been the most transformative event of my life. We saw people living in a free and fair democracy, ready to fight and die.”

They witnessed a woman sobbing and digging her nails in the earth on her son‘s birthday, where he perished on Oct. 7. They watched the video captured by Hamas cell phones bragging about their savagery. He related, “This is Schindler‘s List in color.”

They visited a Druze village between Syria and Lebanon where a rocket killed 12 children who were playing on a soccer field. There they saw the children’s remaining mangled bicycles. In terms of the soccer incident, both Arab and Jewish coaches and owners all fasted on Ramadan. He stated, “I locked eyes with a judge from Idaho whose eyes were all welled up. They understood our shared history.”

They also visited Yad Vashem where they witnessed varied Jews from Germany, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Judges frolicked in the sea, feet in the water, and connected to Jesus. Altman said, “They were able to feel and touch the Judeo-Christian roots as Western souls, not what they see on TikTok or the New York Times.”

Altman took questions from the audience, recounting a Jewish college girl wearing a keffiyeh celebrating Sukkot. He explained the First Commandment, which began way before Sukkot that settling the homeland was the foundation stone.

“Everything else is just whipped cream and cherries.”

During the cocktail reception, Mark Kopkin, past president of Jewish National Fund, shared, “Altman’s message is so important by taking folks [to Israel] who live outside the Jewish realm … so they can really understand.”

Current JNF President Andy Siegel said, “Post-Oct. 7, JNF has risen to meet the moment.”

U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg heard Judge Altman speak earlier that morning at a different event. He told the AJT, “Judge Altman’s message is important in light of the threats facing the Jewish community, including here in Atlanta.”