President Isaac Herzog’s speech at the JFNA General Assembly, 15 September 2021 (excerpt)

As we contemplate what’s next for the future of the Jewish community, outside of this tight circle, the core commitment to Jewish Peoplehood is under threat. No matter how we break down the numbers, there is no doubt that being Jewish, and having a simple love for the Nation of Israel, is becoming a challenging, complex issue for some in the young generation of North American Jews.

It is almost too painful to express aloud, but an increasing number of young Jews no longer feel a bond with the Jewish collective. Too many American Jewish youths are disinterested in what being Jewish means and in the complex understanding of the realities and challenges facing Israel, and some of them, a very small minority, are too willing to accept distorted labels and libels against the Jewish State. 

At the same time, on the other side of the ocean, far too many Israelis show little interest in Jewish life outside of Israel, and lack a nuanced understanding of their sisters and brothers in the Diaspora. 

Here we are among friends, so let me be clear, as I have repeatedly stated on numerous occasions: the two epic centers of Jewish life—what I term ‘Jerusalem and Babylon’—are under threat of growing apart. Right now, today, we must declare our urgent duty and overreaching goal, to strengthen our shared sense of peoplehood, to enhance and deepen the links between us. I cannot imagine a world in which Israel and North American Jewry are not intimately tied to each other.

And I say this at a time when many Jews face hatred and antisemitism also in the United States. I cannot imagine a Jewish People who are not responsible for each other, a people whose prayers do not include each other, for whom the axiom of kol Yisrael arevim ze lazeh [all of Israel are responsible for one another] is hollow. I cannot imagine that. 
 
I cannot imagine a Jewish world vacant of community and solidarity. I cannot imagine a world in which Jews in North America are fearful of living publicly as Jews and experience attacks and intimidation, at times in college, at times in their synagogues, and elsewhere, and the Jewish collective, as well as Israelis, do not feel compelled to act immediately on their behalf, just as I cannot imagine a world in which the existence of Israel in questioned, and American Jews do not defend the State of Israel.

I cannot imagine a world in which the two epic centers of Judaism operate in solitude and disconnect, without working to build bridges back to each other.

As President of the State of Israel, I will make it my mission to strengthen the lines of communication, to reinforce the underlying bond and mutual responsibility. As President, I will act with every group, every individual, every denomination, to ensure that North American Jewry knows that Israel is your home away from home, and to ensure that the Israeli people accept and respect every Jewish voice.

The challenges are tremendous, but the vision for overcoming them is equally great, and preserving the bonds of our Peoplehood is the key to a Jewish future. This is the challenge of our generation… From the depths of my heart I believe that if we remain committed to our shared peoplehood, joined by bonds strong enough to withstand the winds and storms of disagreement, we will be able to turn the tide, to strengthen Jewish identity and peoplehood, and seize tremendous opportunities together. We can, and must, do this together.