Torah Fund Stands With Israel:  A Riveting January Program 

So much has changed since our last Torah Fund Stands With Israel event!  The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is holding. All remaining living Israeli hostages were released.  The body of the last hostage, First Sergeant Ran Gvili (posthumously promoted) was identified and returned to Israel for burial.  After his return, the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt was reopened. Still, worldwide antisemitism is rampant, manifesting as hate speech and physical attacks against Jews. This continues to be a pervasive threat to Jewish communities worldwide. 

Shalom: The Greatest Gift of All 

We are so appreciative that Rabbi Murray Ezring, spouse of Barbara Ezring, former international Torah Fund chair, agreed to give the d’var Torah. Rabbi Ezring was ordained by JTS in 1978. Since then, he has served congregations in New Jersey, Florida and North Carolina. Following his retirement, he was an interim rabbi in Virginia, Florida and Maryland. In addition, Rabbi Ezring participated in numerous community building initiatives and has taught at the Rabbinical Assembly, Women’s League for Conservative Judaism and The Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs.

The rabbi’s theme for this d’var Torah was shalom. This is used not only for greeting people, but evokes tranquility, security, peace, well-being, good health, completeness and safety.  What is its root source, is it Hebrew or Aramaic?  Rabbi Ezring’s favorite explanation is that it derives from the root meaning wholeness and completeness. Without peace, other blessings cannot exist. In Pirkei Avot, the importance of peace is emphasized. We are founded on principles of justice, truth, and peace. In the Torah, shalom appears 237 times. Rabbi Ezring, a professed lover of Gematria (a system of assigning numerical values to letters, words, and phrases) taught us that 2 plus 3 plus 7 equals 12, which is the number of the tribes of Israel. He then discussed how world opinion was split by the Gaza War and he spoke of the danger of diminishing support for Israel. We may disagree with Israel’s methods, he said but we need to remain united to counter antisemitism.  

Rabbi Ezring observed that the Lev Shalem prayer book has added language to Oseh Shalom which includes praying for peace for all who dwell on earth. (v’al kol yoshvei tevel)  His final thought was that Israel is our past, present and future—and he concluded with Am Yisrael Chai. 

A Proud Druze Woman Supports and Serves Israel 

The featured presenter was Sawsan Natour-Hasson, minister for public diplomacy at the Embassy of Israel in Washington.  Natour-Hasson has held a variety of posts in the Israeli Foreign Ministry including serving in Athens, Greece and in Sofia, Bulgaria.   An attorney with a concentration in civil and labor law, she holds LL.B and LL.M law degrees from Haifa University and she is a proud member of the Druze faith. 

Ms. Natour-Hasson’s discussion began with the burning of Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi. As a non-Jew and Druze, she identifies with the Jewish community, as her people face the same hate. She shared that while serving in the Washington area, she was shocked to see the prevalence of antisemitism in the public schools her children attend. To combat antisemitism, she began by educating school leadership using tools of resilience, unity, and collaboration. After October 7, 2023, for a time it was clear that Israel needed to fight for its existence. However, as time went on, disinformation and manipulation became prevalent. Ms. Natour-Hasson spoke of the shocking murders of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky in 2025 while they were working for the embassy. At first, she refused to believe that could happen here, with a perpetrator calling out “Free Palestine!” She noted that no other country says “thank you” when told they have the right to exist.

Ms. Natour-Hasson then told us about the Druze people. Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, is their founder and considered a prophet. The Druze are a monotheist people with beliefs based on the Ten Commandments and its values. They consider themselves to be Abrahamic, drawing inspiration from the teachings of Abraham. They believe in reincarnation. Like Judaism, both are great and ancient philosophies. She informed us that the “smarts” are the religious people who bring the philosophies to the next generation; those not considered the “smarts” need to ask permission to read from their holy books. Their version of a Bnei Mitzvah happens at age 15 for both boys and girls.

There are about 150,000 members of the Druze community in Israel. One cannot convert and become Druze, and you are only considered Druze if both your parents are members of the community. Druze men serve in the Israeli army; women are not obligated, but many take on patriotic responsibilities.  

The Druze people are welcome in Israel. They balance their distinctive heritage with a strong Israeli identity.  Ms. Natour-Hasson contrasted this with how they are treated in other countries. In July 2025, Syrian forces entered the city of Sweida where a massacre took place. 427 Druze fighters and 298 Druze civilians were killed. In response, Israel launched attacks on Syrian targets to protect the Druze community as well as to provide humanitarian aid. Israel created a buffer zone to prevent threats to Israeli territory and to protect the vulnerable Druze people. The Druze have no oil, gas, territory or political power. Israel supports and protects them as it considers them a valuable group, and recognizes their significant contributions. 

Ms. Natour-Hasson ended her talk by describing her family life and the importance of education. When asked what is more challenging, being a woman or a member of a minority group, she answered “a woman” without hesitation. Yet, as a diplomat and a woman she truly believes she can succeed. The challenges of being a Druze woman and fighting antisemitism when and where she sees it are not insurmountable. 

We thank Ms. Natour-Hasson for sharing her unique knowledge and perspective and educating us about the Druze community. May they continue to thrive with Israel’s support and protection.