Actress Debra Messing was among those in attendance at a star-studded evening celebration during StandWithUs’ annual “Israel in Focus” conference, held March 1-3 at the Hilton hotel by LAX, where the iconic sitcom star emphasized her support for Israel while speaking out against Jew-hatred.
“Our collective call to action must be the dismantling of the ‘colonialist apartheid’ narrative,” Messing said, addressing a crowd of approximately 500 attendees, the majority of whom were high school and college students. “We must educate people about the history of Israel and the peace-loving, passionate, inclusive, resilient Israelis who’ve been living there for millennia.”
The actress, one of several Hollywood professionals who spoke out in support of Israel at a StandWithUs program on Saturday night, during the three-day conference. Other speakers included comedian Brett Gelman (“Stranger Things”) and his wife, Ari Dayan, an L.A.-based artist and performer; and John Ondrasik, frontman of the successful pop music group Five for Fighting.
Earlier this month, Ondrasik, who isn’t Jewish, released a single and music video that demonstrated his allyship with the Jewish and pro-Israel community in the aftermath of Oct. 7.
“One doesn’t have to be Jewish to condemn the evil that is Hamas,” Ondrasik said.
They were gathered before a crowd of high school and college students who are receiving tools from StandWithUs to combat antisemitism and stand up for Israel on their campuses through SWU’s selective Emerson Fellowship for college students and Kenneth Leventhal High School internship.
Additional speakers included Israel Consul General in Los Angeles Israel Bachar and StandWithUs Founder and CEO Roz Rothstein, who presented Messing with the “Guardian of Israel” award.
The evening recognized several students with awards, including Ben Sissman and Emmett Kliger. Each was given the Star of David Award.
Attendees included StandWithUs President Esther Renzer along with philanthropists Adam and Gila Milstein; Naty and Debbie Saidoff; and Rita and Steve Emerson. The three couples are longtime supporters of StandWithUs, a pro-Israel, nonpartisan education organization that supports Israel through extensive social media campaigns and provides help to college and high school students through its legal arm.
Jewish Federation Los Angeles (JFEDLA) held its Hineni Society dinner, featuring U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres, on Feb. 26.
Torres, a Democrat whose congressional district in New York includes most of the South Bronx, has long been an outspoken ally of Israel, particularly in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack against the Jewish State by Hamas.
“As Rep. Torres and all our speakers noted, it’s essential that we unite as a community to reaffirm our commitment to a thriving Jewish future,” a JFEDLA statement said. “The dinner was a shining example of that unwavering commitment.”
Hineni Society members make a minimum family gift of $100,000 to JFEDLA’s annual campaign or to its Israel crisis fund.
Creative Hearts for Israel committee chair Tamara Stavinsky, along with Reina Resnik and Shauna Jackson, are part of a group of Jewish women working to give back to Israel.
On Feb. 22 at Sinai Temple, the three helped host a silent and live auction fundraiser, featuring art, jewelry and memorabilia, to support the mental health needs of Israelis suffering in the aftermath of Oct. 7. About 450 people attended, wanting to help Israel in its urgent time of need. Artist and activist Tomer Peretz was the guest speaker, and he discussed his experience with PTSD while emphasizing the need for mental health support. The auctioneers, Guy Bengal, Rami and Ronen Varsha, donated their time as well.
Nearly $150,000 in funds were raised to benefit American Friends of Natal, which assists Israelis suffering from trauma and PTSD. More than 23 Jewish women were part of the Creative Hearts for Israel committee, working diligently for the past four months to organize the fundraiser.
To support the efforts of American Friends of Natal, visit afnatal.networkforgood.com.
