It was one of the most moving evenings of the past year. A packed hall at BES had the privilege of hearing Avi Rosenfeld speak about his son, Natan, a sergeant in an elite IDF unit who fell defending Israel in Gaza in June 2025.
Avi shared that, despite the indescribable pain, he made a promise to himself, to his wife, Sam, and to G-d, that he would dedicate the rest of his life to doing good for our people, our country and our soldiers.
True to his word, Avi gave up his job and began travelling the world. As he did that evening in Borehamwood, he has inspired thousands through his passion, resilience and heartbreaking honesty. He spoke about how the unimaginable loss of Natan could have broken him and his wife, but instead it made them stronger. They chose not to be defined by tragedy, but to stand up with renewed purpose, determined to do something valuable, something truly meaningful.
Although Avi’s is a deeply personal story, its message speaks to us all. It has been another challenging year, not only for Israel but also for the Jewish community here in the UK. The rise in antisemitism is deeply troubling. Yet, like Avi and Sam, we face a choice. We can allow adversity to diminish us, or we can respond by strengthening ourselves, our community and our commitment to Judaism.
That is one of the central themes of Rosh Hashanah. We ask to be written into the Book of Life. While we can’t always choose the circumstances we face, we can choose the people we become because of them. We can determine the kind of life we will write in the year ahead.
Judaism has never been defined by negativity or loss. It has always been shaped by how we respond. And as we begin a new year, that is our challenge.
Yes, Antisemitism is real. Yes, we must take it seriously. Yes, we must protect ourselves, but we can’t allow it to become the overriding narrative of Jewish life. After all, the Torah itself is described as: “Its ways are ways of pleasantness.” Judaism is meant to be lived with warmth, meaning, joy, purpose, and connection. If that’s not the perception we have, then something has gone wrong.
We don’t ignore reality, we simply ensure that we frame it correctly. We acknowledge the challenges, but we define ourselves by something deeper. We recognise the threats, but we centre our identity on Torah, mitzvot, community, purpose, and joy. We focus on what we love most about being Jewish: whether that’s chicken soup or cholent, Shabbat or the chagim, family or community. We face difficulty, but we refuse to let it become the story. Instead, we promote a Judaism whose ways are truly “ways of pleasantness”.
When we do that – when we define Jewish life positively, consciously, and intentionally – we create a future that’s proud, strong, resilient, and full of life, even in a difficult world.
May this be a year in which we transform pain into purpose, uncertainty into faith, and challenge into growth – for ourselves, for our community, for Israel and for the entire Jewish people.
Eva and I wish you, your family, and the whole community a Shanah Tovah Umetukah. May G-d bless us all with a year of life, health and peace.