Dear Friends,
The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans welcomes the news of a deal to release dozens of Israeli hostages, to create a framework for releasing the remaining hostages, and to allow Israel a path forward to protect the safety and security of its citizens.
Every day for over 15 months, our community has held the hostages in our hearts. We have wept for their plight, prayed for their safe return, and mourned for those we lost.
We’ve held close our Israeli brothers and sisters who have suffered, been displaced, fought in reserves, struggled to keep their businesses afloat, and worked to keep their families and communities alive.
Much work remains to be done and significant uncertainty lies ahead, but we are hopeful that the first phase of this agreement will pave the way for the remaining hostages to be reunited with their families, for the hostilities to end, and for an era of security and rebuilding for both Israel and her neighbors.
We must also thank President Biden and President-Elect Trump for their unprecedented coordination to bring both sides together to get a deal done.
Am Yisrael Chai,
Robert French, CEO