Hundreds of Israelis marched through the streets of Modiin on Thursday holding placards calling for the immediate release of the hostages who have been in Hamas captivity since the terrorist group's brutal attack on Oct. 7.
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"There will be no victory until every hostage is saved!" a young eight-year-old girl chanted through a megaphone at a march calling for bringing the hostages home from Gaza.
Marching beside her, were participants of Momentum, a global movement that inspires Jewish women to connect with Israel and their Jewish values.
Despite being at war, the organization brought 80 dedicated Jewish mothers to Israel who dropped everything to show solidarity with Israel during its darkest hour.
The Mother to Mother Unity Trip, organized in partnership with the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, kicked off last week and brought Jewish mothers from the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and Mexico. For 20 of the mothers, coming to Israel had extra personal significance as one of their children is currently serving as a lone soldier in the war.
The trip, which centered heavily around acts of volunteer service such as cooking with other Israeli mothers for soldiers; and harvesting crops to assist farmers who cannot attend to their land because they were either killed during the war or have been called up for reserve duty were all done in the hope of boosting Israeli morale on the home and war fronts.
On Thursday, though, the mothers were visibly moved by hearing from Hagit, the cousin of the Tal family who were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Hagit said her family only learned of the kidnapping by seeing videos of Merav Tal, her boyfriend, and his two children on Telegram the day of the attack. Hagit has been advocating for the Tal household ever since as the rest of the family is too grief-stricken to leave the house.
After the group were stunned to silence by her words, Momentum participant Linda Norton, from Sarasota, Fla., spoke on behalf of the group and said, "We're here to tell you that we love you and we want to do whatever we can to support you and to bring your loved ones home. You're our family and we're here for you."
Momentum Founding Director Lori Palatnik agreed, adding that it was critical for Momentum to show up for their Israeli counterparts as they're coping with unimaginable amounts of grief.
"Today, Israel and the Jewish people face unimaginably difficult times. Mothers have had their babies taken from their arms and families have been torn apart by brutal acts of terror. At Momentum, we couldn't stand idly by while our Israeli sisters are in so much pain. As a result, we've mobilized our dedicated community of Momentum mothers who have chosen to show up for Israel and its women and demonstrate their unwavering support of Israel in an emotional display of unity," she said.
Therefore, as an organization created by Jewish mothers for Jewish mothers, it was natural that Momentum do what it can to support bereaved Israeli mothers in their time of need. The mission underscores that in times of grief, the Jewish people are strongest if they're unified.
The trip is just one aspect of the organization's comprehensive Momentum Mobilizes Campaign. The multi-pronged initiative was spearheaded in the early days of the Iron Swords War to create a connection to what's happening in Israel through the lens of the organization, deliver support through educational initiatives, and to inspire action through opportunities to do something positive.
Momentum is carrying out this campaign by tapping into its extensive community of alumni that span over 23,000 women from 34 countries, who through their immersive experience in Israel, have returned to their home countries to be dedicated ambassadors for not only the country but Jewish values.
That work of Momentum's dedicated community is not only limited to activism in Israel. Last week, too, some 700 momentum participants attended the March for Israel rally in Washington DC.
There, Momentum mobilized their board members, Momentum fellows, community leaders, and hundreds of past and future participants from across the country to take action and join the Momentum team in this historic event. The organization subsidized buses for partner organizations to come to the rally, handed out over 500 t-shirts and signs, each proudly worn or displayed, further amplifying the unified voice and collective determination of the Momentum community in advocating for Israel.
Additionally, Momentum's Hugs4Heroes campaign, which encourages Momentum women and their families to strengthen the IDF and the country by showing solidarity with soldiers and displaced families by sending and delivering of letters and pictures of support, and the upcoming initiative 'Bring The Light Home,' a global Shabbat candle lighting viral campaign to help bring more light into the world by inspiring more women to light candles in this time of darkness are two additional ways the organization is supporting its Israeli brothers and sisters.
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