The love between Israel and the Jewish Diaspora has never been stronger, Jewish Federations of North America Board of Trustees chair Julie Platt told The Jerusalem Post ahead of receiving the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor at the beginning of January. The award itself was recognition of the unique connection to Israel and the unified response of Diaspora Jews to aid Israelis in the wake of the October 7 Massacre.
President Isaac Herzog’s decision to award Platt and seven other honorees on January 8 was “especially poignant and meaningful because it’s being given to leaders in the Diaspora, in recognition that we are one,” said Platt.
In the wake of the Hamas-led pogrom in southern Israel, Jewish Federations sprang into action launching a $500 million emergency fundraising campaign just five days later. Platt said that they had long surpassed this goal, since 2023, raising over $860m. to be allocated to lifeline services, medical and trauma relief, economic aid and recovery, and community rebuilding efforts.
Over $700m. had already been allocated to aid programs, and the remaining funds are still set to be donated. Platt estimated that it could take a decade for Israel to recover from the multi-front war with Iran and its proxies, but that Jewish Federations were committed to the mission.
“We’re in this for the long term until Israel has what it needs for its recovery,” she said.
Jewish Federations and their partners not only raised millions of dollars in the shadow of October 7, they organized a massive rally to show support to the Israeli people. On November 14, almost 300,000 Americans gathered in Washington, DC, for the March for Israel to demonstrate solidarity with the US ally and stand against the rising swell of antisemitism that had gripped the country.
Platt said that there was “no thought, just action,” in Jewish Federations’ understanding of the need for a response to the Gazan terrorist attacks, immediately and without question working to do what was needed to help those in need.The whirlwind of activity, the March for Israel, and the response of Americans and North American Jewry was “something that I will never forget,” she added.
System for emergencies
Jewish Federations had built up a system for emergencies across its network of over 350 North American Jewish communities, and Platt felt that those programs were swiftly activated when they were needed. Community branches already had partnerships with Israeli cities.
Yet, the federations were also faced with providing needs that they never could have anticipated, such as coordination with the families of hostages and addressing mass sexual assault. Platt said that while they had to develop these capabilities, the federations were already experienced in establishing new arms and sub-organizations and understanding how to effectively evaluate their operations.
October 7, 2023, brought changes to Diaspora Jewish life not just because of affinity with Israel but also because of a tidal wave of antisemitism across the world.
Jewish Federations have been at the forefront of advocacy against antisemitism, Platt explained. Even before October 7 – since the 2018 Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue shooting – Jewish Federation’s LiveSecure program had sought to fortify facilities and build security plans for Jewish institutions and communities across the continent. Platt noted that LiveSecure had raised $62 million by 2022 to protect Jewish communities. With these security efforts Platt didn’t think that Jewish North Americans were generally unsafe, but nevertheless considered them still under immense emotional duress and harassment.
The philanthropist said that Jewish Federations had to engage in “incredibly disappointing fights that we had never had to fight before.” Antisemitic rhetoric and anti-Israel resolutions had erupted at city councils, schools, and campuses. Platt said that it would be inauthentic to say that there weren’t disagreements among Jewish families that were part of the Jewish Federations community, as “disagreement part of thriving democracy,” but Jewish Federations was working to educate families to equip their college-bound children for an anti-Israel and antisemitic campus environment.
“We have a lot of work to do,” she said of the fight against disinformation about Israel.
When asked if she had any concerns or hopes for the impact incoming US President Donald Trump and his administration would have on the antisemitism landscape, Platt said, “If you look at our history over many years, there has been bipartisan cooperation with every administration.”
THE JEWISH Federations chair also saw opportunity in the Diaspora’s reaction to October 7. With the increased sense of unity and embrace of Jewish identity, Platt described a “surge” of involvement in American Jews attending synagogues, enrolling in day schools, and engaging in community programming.
Jewish Federations had to meet the new demand and not fail to capitalize on the desire to develop Jewish peoplehood, she said. As Jewish families felt ostracized by antisemitism in schools and anti-Israel school boards, the federations needed to help ensure that there were Jewish day school options for them to turn to.
The surge of Diaspora engagement was showcased again on the first anniversary of the October 7 massacre. Jewish Federations allocated a million dollars to almost 400 campus and community groups across 180 North American cities for October 7 commemoration programming. A year after the march in Washington, on November 10, JFNA and its partners brought around 30,000 Americans together to stand for Israel.
The unity in the Diaspora had been maintained since 2023, Platt, said, with support for Israel strong across the political spectrum.
The medals of honor given to Platt, Australian-Israeli businessman Sir Frank Lowy, British philanthropist Sir Trevor Chinn, former German justice minister Brigitte Zypries, Publicis Groupe Supervisory Board chairman Maurice Lévy, Australian political activist Mark Leibler, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations executive vice chairman emeritus Malcolm Hoenlein, and World Jewish Congress president Ronald Lauder for support of Israel, countering antisemitism, and human rights advocacy demonstrated, according to Platt, that Israel acknowledged the role that the Diaspora had played since the 2023 Hamas-led attack.
Jewish Federations demonstrated its own commitment to honoring the deep connections between Israel and the Diaspora last Sunday when first lady Michal Herzog received the International Lions of Judah Conference Ruth Bader Ginsberg Award for her work in exposing systematic sexual crimes perpetrated by Hamas, as well as her tireless advocacy for the Jewish people.
It had been a week of awards for Platt’s family, with her husband Marc on January 6 accepting the 2025 Golden Globe for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement as producer of Wicked. Platt said that it was an exciting night, but that her husband “doesn’t do it for awards. It’s about the story and the audience’s reactions.”
For the Jewish Federations chair, accolades were also not the point of her work. Platt was “overwhelmingly honored,” by the “enormous surprise” of the presidential medal, but emphasized that the entire federations system had worked together to help their brethren in Israel.
Platt felt that love between Israelis and the Diaspora went in both directions.
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt it as strongly.”