Letters From Our Leaders
From Our Chairmen, Doron Almog & Mark Wilf
Monday, March 30, 2026
We write this letter to you at a pivotal moment as the State of Israel is in the midst of a historic campaign that will determine its future for years to come. The roar of the lion is being heard far and wide.
Across Israel, citizens are living in an extraordinarily complex reality. A normal routine has become impossible between alerts and sirens warning of incoming missile attacks – attacks that have tragically claimed lives, left many wounded, and caused extensive destruction. At the same time, many Jews across the globe are facing growing threats, their sense of security shaken. Not a day goes by without reports of vile attacks against Jewish institutions and communities.
From Israel to world Jewry, a shared destiny binds us together.
This connection is expressed through powerful moments of solidarity, mobilization, and compassion, as well as profound pain. It links Jewish hearts around the world to one another and to the State of Israel, giving us strength beyond our collective imagination.
2025 will be remembered as the year every living hostage returned home. A year that closed one of the most painful chapters in our people’s story and opened the next: rebuilding Israel, restoring what was broken, and healing a nation fractured to its core. A year of resilience and reunion. A year marked by great challenges and meaningful accomplishments, of unbearable loss and unbreakable hope.
Yet, even in the face of these trials, The Jewish Agency’s response was remarkable. From assisting those affected by the Swords of Iron War in Israel to fortifying communities worldwide, The Jewish Agency was there. Our Fund for Victims of Terror continued working around the clock to provide relief and comfort to those who experienced loss or injury. Our Israeli business support programs delivered grants to impacted businesses in the North and South, to reservists and their spouses, helping them rebuild their livelihoods. And when the Rising Lion War erupted last June, we did not hesitate, adapting quickly to create new channels of support, including a designated emergency fund.
At the same time, a surge of antisemitism and hate swept across the globe, reminding us of darker times in Jewish history. Our Security Assistance Fund expanded to help communities fortify safety measures and our JReady platform worked to strengthen resilience and preparedness worldwide. When terror struck at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, JReady immediately responded, dispatching an emergency delegation of specialized professionals in psychological support, emergency response, trauma care and community welfare. They came not only to share their expertise, offering tools, guidance, and compassion, but to remind Australian Jews they do not stand alone.
Aliyah and our absorption efforts continued, with more and more Jews around the world coming to view the State of Israel as home and a Jewish haven. We strengthened Jewish identity and connection to Israel through our extensive global Shlichim network. In synagogues and schools, in youth movements and on university campuses, our Shlichim served as a living bridge between Israel and world Jewry. With courage and pride, they stood as a wall against ignorance, ensuring the eternal bond between the Jewish people and the Jewish State remains unbreakable across all generations.
None of this would have been possible without the steadfast support of our extraordinary partners: Jewish Federations of North America, Keren Hayesod-United Israel Appeal, the World Zionist Organization, and foundations and donors from Israel and around the world. Nor without the leadership and efforts of our Board of Governors and dedicated Jewish Agency staff. Your ongoing dedication allows us to bring hope and be there for the global Jewish people, even in the darkest of times.
We continue this work with resolve as we move forward into 2026, facing its challenges together, bound by our shared destiny. Determined. Unwavering in the justice of our cause.
As we approach Passover, the holiday of freedom, we are reminded of our privilege and our responsibility to shape our future with our own hands. It is also the holiday that carries the call of “והגדת לבנך” – and you shall tell your son – to relay our story, to not forget our past and where we came from. This year, more than ever, we are called to connect to our roots. To remember the extraordinary trials we have faced as a nation. And at the same time, to hold on to hope. To unity. To the shared prayer for better days ahead.
We carry in our hearts the memory of our heroic soldiers who gave their lives so that we might live in safety. We owe them not only our gratitude, but also to continue to live by their values and fulfill their legacy.
And so, we endure and we rebuild. And as the Jewish people have for centuries, we hold onto our unshakable vision of a strong and thriving Jewish future. Every one of us, together.
With much appreciation and hope,
Major General (res.) Doron Almog
Chair of the Executive
Mark Wilf
Chair of the Board of Governors
From Our CEO & Director General, Yehuda Setton
Monday, March 30, 2026
Today, Israel is once again living through a moment of profound uncertainty.
The current war with Iran has entirely halted daily life across the country. Schools are largely closed, flights are extremely limited, and millions of Israelis are once again living under attack. For all of us here in Israel, this is another chapter in a prolonged period of instability that has entirely reshaped our lives in recent years.
For the Jewish people, moments of crisis and moments of rebuilding rarely occur separately. More often, they unfold at the same time. And they don’t happen in isolation – what affects one Jewish community reverberates across our people and reshapes our shared sense of security. Even as we respond to urgent needs, we must continue the long work of strengthening our communities and preparing for the future.
Just a few months ago, we witnessed the closing of one of the most painful chapters in Israel’s recent history. On January 26, 2026, after 843 days, Ran Gvili was returned home to Israel, bringing an end to over a decade of Israeli hostages in Gaza. That moment carried deep meaning for Israelis and for Jewish communities around the world – a reminder of the bonds that connect our people and the responsibility we carry for one another.
Yet the broader challenges facing Israel and the Jewish people remain immense.
The events that began on October 7, 2023, reshaped Israel and Jewish communities worldwide. In Israel, entire regions, particularly in the north and the south, require deep rehabilitation. Families, communities, and infrastructure must be restored, and those most directly affected continue to need sustained support as they rebuild their lives.
Across the globe, Jewish communities are confronting rising antisemitism and polarization. At the same time, after years marked by overlapping crises – the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the Swords of Iron War – encounters between Israel and world Jewry have sharply declined. This distancing has consequences. The sense of closeness that once felt natural can no longer be assumed.
And yet, in the months following October 7, Jewish communities around the world mobilized with extraordinary generosity and determination. Through your partnership, we were able to meet unprecedented urgent needs and reinforce the strength of our people. For that, we are profoundly grateful.
But belonging is not self-sustaining. It must be fostered, reinforced and translated into shared action.
The Jewish Agency’s work focuses on strengthening Israel and fostering mutual responsibility.
In Israel, we advance Aliyah, assist impacted populations, support physical rebuilding, and deepen Jewish identity and peoplehood. Worldwide, we invest in programs that create meaningful connections, boost communal resilience and fortify security.
The needs of the Jewish people remain great. None of us can meet them alone. Our strength has always come from acting collectively, from understanding that our future is shared.
Hope, for us, is grounded in partnership – in the knowledge that we face this moment together. With your continued support, we can meet the challenges before us and ensure that Israel and the Jewish people emerge from this period stronger.
With prayers for quieter days ahead,
Yehuda Setton
CEO & Director General