On the eve of Memorial Day 5785, violence erupted at the Reform synagogue in Ra’anana during a live screening of the Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony. Hundreds of extremists gathered outside, hurling stones, throwing firecrackers, and shouting racist chants. Rabbi Chen Tzfoni and IRAC Director Orly Erez-Likhovski were among those attacked, as windows were shattered, worshippers had to be rescued and evacuated while passing through the enraged crowd.

Orly Erez-Likhovski later reflected: “This was no stray rock… it was hurled with the clear intent to intimidate. But while they meant to deter me, it only made me more determined… What happened on Tuesday evening was a pogrom. No less.”  The attack, she said, was not only physical – it was aimed at the very soul of Israeli democracy, pluralism, and shared society.

In response, the Reform Movement and IRAC have launched the Hope Over Hate campaign. This urgent initiative supports legal action to bring the attackers to justice, a public campaign to amplify the voice of liberal Judaism as an alternative to extremism, and community programs that build bridges and strengthen shared society.

Your donation today supports a bold vision of a more just and inclusive Israel in the face of extreme hatred. Together, we will not be silenced.