On Tuesday, I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with 300,000 fellow Jews, allies, and supporters at the March for Israel in Washington, D.C., including many from our Virginia Peninsula community. We came together in record numbers – united, proud, and strong – to demand the freedom of all hostages, to end antisemitism, and to support the one and only Jewish state in this dark hour.  

Throughout the day, I couldn't help but marvel at the people surrounding us - large groups of children from Jewish day schools wandered around in matching shirts, college students from across the country visiting with friends, and families representing multiple generations waving homemade signs. Jews and non-Jews. Democrats and Republicans.  Religious and Secular. The diversity of the crowd was momentous. 

The most powerful moment of the day for me was when the Maccabeats led the crowd in the singing of Acheinu, a prayer recited during times of travail and suffering. You can listen to Acheinu at the March for Israel here.  

The text of the prayer reads:

"Acheinu - Our family, the whole house of Israel, who are in distress, or in captivity — who stand either in the sea or on dry land — may the Omnipresent have mercy on them and take them out from narrowness to expanse, and from darkness to light, and from oppression to redemption, now, swiftly, and soon!"

300,000 people wrapped their arms around one another, swayed back and forth, and sang at the top of their lungs. The word "sing" doesn't even justify the sound that emerged at that moment. Rather it was a combination of shouting, crying and yearning that came together in the most beautiful way. There was a moment when the speakers near where we were standing went out, and instead of hearing the stage microphones, all that could be heard was the intertwined voices praying together as one. At that moment, it felt like our prayers were piercing the gates of heaven.  

We are one family, the prayer reminds us. We feel one another’s pain. We long for one another’s deliverance.

This message fit with the powerful, poignant words of Alana Zeitchik, whose family members are being held hostage in Gaza. On Tuesday she shared:

“For too many it feels like to care about one family, to love one child is to diminish the suffering of another. But the simple human truth is that you don't have to choose. You can abhor the suffering of Palestinian families and the suffering of Israeli families like mine. You can call for peace and the immediate return of the innocent men, women, and children who are violently taken from us. It doesn't need to be political to share in my grief or in the anguish that the Israeli people are feeling.”

The March for Israel was not just a demonstration of solidarity; it was a powerful reminder of the strength that comes from our togetherness.  

We must continue to harness that same power of community – the strength which comes only from collaboration and solidarity – to move forward. I’ve been humbled by your generosity, compassion, and vision to date. Our small, but mighty Jewish community has raised over $710,000 from 300+ families for the crisis relief efforts. 

Your support remains invaluable for those in Israel and our local community – and, of course, we still have much to do. We must continue to show up and speak out against antisemitism, urge our congressional representatives to maintain their support for Israel, and demand the release of the 240 hostages. 

Our work as American Jews is far from over.

Am Yisrael Chai! 

Shabbat Shalom,
Eric Maurer
Executive Director
emaurer@ujcvp.org