A Day of Healing

Singer-songwriter John Ondrasik, also known as Five for Fighting, sat at his keyboard onstage at Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square this past April. As a possible Iranian assault was on the horizon – moments before, someone on the loudspeaker announced that in case of a missile attack, to take immediate shelter – Ondrasik sang his moving hit song “Superman” to the hostages’ families in the audience.  

“I wish that I could cry
Fall upon my knees
Find a way to lie
‘Bout a home I’ll never see
It may sound absurd, but don’t be naive
Even heroes have the right to bleed
I may be disturbed, but won’t you concede
Even heroes have the right to dream?
And it’s not easy to be me.”

Reflecting on his performance, the singer told the Journal, “I spent a lot of time with the hostage families. There are no words you can put to that. Perhaps I provided a little solace or support.”

Ondrasik, who is not Jewish but is married to Jewish executive producer Carla Berkowitz – with whom he has two children – has been publicly and firmly pro-Israel since Oct. 7. His Hostage Square performance opened his eyes, showing him the incredible resilience of Israelis after the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. 

“When they made the announcement about Iran, my first impression was that nobody left,” he said. “I was ready to hide under my bed. I saw the ability of Israelis and the Jewish people I met over the past 10 months to find joy in very dark times. It’s inspiring.”

“I saw the ability of Israelis and the Jewish people I met over the past 10 months to find joy in very dark times. It’s inspiring.”
– John Ondrasik AKA Five for Fighting

Now, on Sunday, Sept. 15, Ondrasik is going to be taking the stage to speak and sing at the Jewish American Summit, an Aish Los Angeles event featuring Jews and their allies talking about their support for Israel, as well as the community, which has been facing significant difficulties in a post-Oct. 7 world. The one-day summit is open for registration for 500 attendees and priced economically, and will include a range of prominent speakers touching on topics like business, finance, health and wellness, spirituality, Israel and the Jewish people. 

“People are burnt out on banquets,” said Rabbi Aryeh Markman, executive director of Aish HaTorah Los Angeles, who helped to organize the JAS. “We wanted, instead, to create an event that people want to come to that will help them become the best version of themselves.  We will give them fantastic ideas from leading experts, thought leaders and influencers on some of the most important topics they care about most.  We want to strengthen and unite the Jews of LA. By getting together, people will know they are not alone and there are hundreds, thousands of Jews in LA who have their back and care about them. It’s a day to illuminate, be inspired and unite.”

”We want to strengthen and unite the Jews of LA. By getting together, people will know they are not alone and there are hundreds, thousands of Jews in LA who have their back and care about them.” – Rabbi Aryeh Markman

Along with Ondrasik, additional speakers at this TED-style event include actress Patricia Heaton from “Everybody Loves Raymond,” as well as the founder of O7C, a nonprofit that unites Christians and Jews; radio host and prolific author Dennis Prager; actress Rebecca De Mornay, from “Risky Business and “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle”; actor and comedian Michael Rapaport; Major League Baseball star Darryl Strawberry; lawyer and author Alan Dershowitz; inspirational speaker and Torah teacher Slovie Jungreis-Wolff; Jewish Journal Editor David Suissa; student activist Shabbos Kestenbaum and many more. 

“We feel blessed and grateful that the caliber of speakers we have lined up have agreed to take this journey with us,” said Mike Drath, co-chair of the JAS and member of Aish’s Jewish Men’s Initiative. “By showcasing the breadth and depth of the contributions and successes of the Jewish people and our friends and allies to American life, the JAS will remind all of us that despite the challenges we’re currently facing as a people, we continue to lead. [We also continue to] innovate in numerous areas, we have many allies who are standing with us and we’re not going to be silenced by the current socio-political climate.”

Heaton, who created O7C, the October 7th Coalition, in the wake of the attack, has been working with Jewish Federations and on-campus Hillels and Chabad houses to build relationships between these organizations and Christian groups.  

“At the summit, I’m going to talk about the Christian support of the Jewish people,” she said. “For me, personally, as they say in the Christian community, the Holy Spirit moved my heart to do something. People have been fed a lot of propaganda. We’re making Christians aware that they should make their voices heard when it comes to supporting their Jewish neighbors. A lot of Christians have been to Israel, but they don’t know any Jewish people in their neighborhood when they go back home. We’re helping to find ways for them to connect with Jewish people in their community.”

“At the summit, I’m going to talk about the Christian support of the Jewish people.” – Patricia Heaton

In Hollywood, Heaton has been surprised by the lack of backing for Israel and the Jewish people since Oct. 7.

“I can’t say what someone should or shouldn’t be doing,” she said. “I will say that there isn’t a cause that Hollywood has not jumped on the bandwagon to support.  Women’s rights, supporting immigrants, MeToo, BLM, all those causes had loud voices behind them. It’s very odd when women were raped and mutilated and murdered that there wasn’t a lot of outrage. There wasn’t the outrage you’d expect given their outrage with previous atrocities. It makes you think.”

Another ally and actress who is not Jewish, De Mornay, couldn’t fathom an act of antisemitism like Oct. 7 taking place today. 

“I didn’t anticipate witnessing something so horrific targeting Jews in my lifetime,” she said. “It was a modern-day Holocaust. The deepest part of me was affected, because the deepest part of me is connected to the Jewish people.”  

De Mornay has long admired the Jewish people. Her stepfather, who ended up adopting her, was Jewish. Growing up in Austria for part of her childhood, she didn’t know any Jews, but she learned alongside other children whose parents and grandparents had been Nazis. There, she heard about the atrocities of the Holocaust, and when she came back to America and became an actress, she ended up making many Jewish friends. 

“A lot of my closest relationships turned out to be with Jews,” she said. “I’ve felt very naturally attracted to them my entire life. I had a major relationship with Leonard Cohen. When Oct. 7 happened, it was as if it was happening to children in my backyard.”

The Friday following Oct. 7, De Mornay felt an urge to go to a synagogue, which she’d never done before. She headed to Wilshire Boulevard Temple.

“I needed comfort and safety,” she said. 

The synagogue had closed right before services started because there was a security concern, so she couldn’t get in. But since then, she’s gone back, participating in Shabbat services with Rabbi Joel Nickerson. 

“I now wear two Stars of David,” said De Mornay, who recorded a video of support for the 2024newvoices Instagram channel, where celebrities and influencers speak up to combat antisemitism. “The response from my video was so huge from Jews all over the world. They said, ‘Thank you, you’re so brave’ and ‘Why is no one else speaking up?’ I was heartbroken, since I didn’t realize how alone Jews were feeling.”  

Jungreis-Wolff is certainly familiar with the difficulties of being a Jew in this moment. She teaches young people who are struggling with their Jewish identity and pride, and specifically sees the challenges that college students are having. What she teaches them – as well as all her students – is to “understand who we are, stand strong and build ourselves up from the inside out,” she said. “What the Jewish people need right now the most is hope, strength and unity. I believe they are all connected. When we’re unified, we’re strong and we have hope. It doesn’t matter what type of Jew you are or where you’re from or where you’ve been. We need to come together. I hope to bring that sense of unity to this conference.”

The speaker plans to talk about the Jewish family and how to create thriving Jewish homes. 

“Too many of us have lost our story,” she said. “We have allowed the rest of the world to define us, and we’ve lost the definition of who we are along the way. Instead of letting others define us, we have to define ourselves.”

“We have allowed the rest of the world to define us, and we’ve lost the definition of who we are along the way. Instead of letting others define us, we have to define ourselves.”
– Slovie Jungreis-Wolff

Dershowitz, a legendary lawyer and author of “The Case for Israel,” isn’t quite sure what he will be speaking about yet, since the news changes so fast these days.

“I never know what I’m going to talk about until a half hour beforehand,” he said. “It’s always current.”

Since Oct. 7, Dershowitz, host of “The Dershow” podcast, is solely giving charity to Israeli causes. 

“I devote all my time to pro-Israel activities. If we are not for ourselves, who are we?” he said. “On that day, Hamas won. It changed the dynamic of so many universities and brought out the deep antisemitism on the left. We have to fight back, since the narrative has been taken away from us.” 

Other speakers on the JAS lineup are Jennifer Cohen, an entrepreneur and host of the “Habits and Hustle” podcast, student activist and former Co-President of The Movement to Address Anti-Semitism at Tulane Yasmeen Ohebsion, Instagrammer Liz Rose and attorney Ben Brafman. 

Rapaport, who has been posting both lighthearted and more serious content post-Oct. 7, said he is “[looking] forward to speaking with and hearing from the strong, proud Jewish community.” 

The day will start at 9 a.m. with a continental breakfast, followed by the speakers and panels, a gourmet lunch and a networking event at 6 p.m. For security purposes, JAS is only sending out the location to those who are registered to attend. Magen Am USA will be providing security, and its founder, Rabbi Yossi Eilfort, is going to speak as well. 

Registration closes Thursday, September 12 at 10 a.m., and funds raised will go towards Aish LA’s programs “that empower young Jews to take pride in their rich heritage and develop a profound connection with the Land of Israel,” according to its website. “This initiative is urgent, especially in an environment where colleges and media outlets often challenge these values.”

With the JAS, Markman hopes that attendees will be able to breathe a collective sigh of relief and bond during an incredibly tough time.

“Jews need to heal from the trauma,” he said. “Getting likeminded people together in a safe and secure environment to listen to and discuss the most important issues on their mind is cathartic. The event is designed so the audience can interact with the speakers and get a little private time with people that are otherwise inaccessible. People will come out inspired and super charged with a new sense of personal mission. Additionally, there will be a lot of unity created. While the participants are diverse, they will find a lot of common cause with one another.”

For his part, JAS’ Drath said, “I am particularly excited to have the non-Jewish voices heard to remind the Jewish community that we have friends.”

That’s certainly true when it comes to Ondrasik, who has faced a barrage of hate online for posting pro-Israel content. But it’s not going to stop him from speaking up.

“Israel and the Jewish people are on the front of this culture war we’re seeing in the world,” he said. “It’s not about Jews or Muslims or Hamas – it’s about good vs. evil. The world has lost its mind, but it’s important to stand up for what’s right.” 

You can register for the Jewish American Summit by visiting JewishAmericanSummit.com.

Kylie Ora Lobell is an award-winning writer and Community Editor of the Jewish Journal. You can find Kylie on X @KylieOraLobell or Instagram @KylieOraWriter.