Noa Tishby, Israel’s former Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism & Delegitimization and the two-time New York Times best-selling author, spoke to Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills during Shabbat on March 21 to discuss the Iran war, rising antisemitism, and how parents can raise proud Jewish kids. The room was packed, and for good reason.
Growing up in Tel Aviv, Tishby understands the realities many Israelis face during a multifront war. She frequently goes back to visit her friends and family and, during her last visit just a few weeks ago, Noa was there for one of the most notable attacks in history: Operation Roaring Lion.
“I have been in Israel for rocket attacks before, but this was different. Hearing missile interceptions and cluster bombs was terrifying,” said Tishby. “The Israeli people right now are incredibly resilient, but also exhausted. Yet, life continues – even in the bomb shelters, people try their best to create moments of normalcy.”
Tishby found shelter at a friend’s house until she could fly back to Los Angeles. She brought home not only a firsthand account of the strength of the Israeli people, but a clear-eyed read on the geopolitical moment unfolding in real time.
For many American Jews, the current war has been a wake-up call. Tishby has long advocated that Iran is not just a threat to Israel but rather to the entire Western world. She explained to the Beth Jacob audience how current geopolitical shifts may finally be pushing other countries in the region to understand this reality.
“The Jewish people are patient zero in a worldwide war on truth,” said Tishby. “Jews are suffering first because we are the canary in the coal mine and we have to fix the problem from inside the coal mine.”
Now, Noa has decided to launch a K-12 curriculum through her foundation, Eighteen, which fights antisemitism, defends Israel and inspires Jewish pride by telling stories across the media landscape. The curriculum, called “What is,” defines terms like Israel, the Holocaust and Judaism, simple phrases that have been distorted, weaponized, or simply left unexplained. It aims to dismantle antisemitic ideas present in education systems, shaping how the younger generation perceives Israel, the US and the West.
Tishby explained why we, the Jewish community, need to be active in education, on campuses, in the media and in various communities. The congregation unanimously and audibly let out a sigh of relief hearing that she was getting involved in the K-12 sphere.
“There is an autoimmune disease in America poisoning our younger generation to hate ourselves so much, whether it’s America, Jews or Israel and it weakens the United States,” Tishby said.
When asked by attendees how they can get involved, Tishby’s answer remained the same: work from your lane. If you sit on a college board, vote. If you run a company, use your platform. If you are a parent, start at home.
Rabbi Kalman Topp, Senior Rabbi at Beth Jacob Congregation, agreed, “we are living through a pivotal moment for Am Yisrael. As rising voices seek to delegitimize Israel and normalize antisemitism, we need to speak out and act with moral clarity and courage. We’re deeply grateful for activist leaders like Noa Tishby, bestselling author, who stands at the forefront of this fight – articulating Israel’s story with strength, intelligence and confidence.”
Indeed, Tishby didn’t soften reality or offer easy reassurance. Instead, she spoke plainly about what is unfolding in Israel, on American campuses and in classrooms. She argued that the Jewish community not only has the tools to respond, but the responsibility to do so.
