Yair’s story

How do we bring the IDF’s mosaic of unity into everyday civilian life?

The Moment the Writing Was on the Wall

On October 6th, 2023, I had a feeling we were about to face a disaster.

WHY?!

Because for the first time, the beautiful and sacred unity that existed in the army was broken. A friend of mine from my unit said he could not serve in the Israeli Defense Forces due to the new judicial reform. That was the moment I knew something bad was going to happen.

Lessons from History: The Cost of Division

Sure enough, the following day, October 7th came. The greatest massacre against Jews since the Holocaust. If we’ve learned anything from history, it’s that when we are divided, that’s when our greatest disasters occur. Whether it’s the destruction of the Second Temple due to disunity, or October 7th.

Finding Hope Amidst Destruction

The months that followed October 7th were the hardest, but also the most optimistic months of my life. The destruction was great. But unity was restored. My friend, who had said he wouldn’t serve, showed up just like everyone else, immediately, in a time of need, to protect the people of Israel and ensure that “Never Again” isn’t just a slogan.

A Mosaic of Unity in the Field

In those months, I saw how the people of Israel stopped their internal fighting and came together down in the Gaza envelope and across the entire country. People supported one another across different backgrounds and ideologies. The pinnacle of this experience for me was my IDF Reserves Unit, where I served for five straight months after October 7th. There, I saw what true unity actually looks like. How a right-wing Israeli will take a bullet for a left-wing Israeli. How a secular Israeli will protect a religious Israeli. How an Israeli Druze will fight alongside his Israeli Jewish counterpart, and so forth. This gave me hope in the darkest of times.

From Vision to Reality: Translating Brotherhood

I can never truly explain the feeling and experience of brotherhood and unity within the IDF Reserves. But what if we can? What if we take this unity felt within the army and translate it to the entire Jewish world? Just imagine what kind of world that would be. It sounded impossible. But that’s when I came together with several incredible, passionate people from around the world who shared this exact vision. People who want to bring this unity to life across the Jewish world.

The Spark That Created JEXPO

After a successful event I ran together with Paushali Lass, bringing together Indian and Mizrachi Jews in Jerusalem, we realized: This can happen. “Go BIG or go HOME!” That’s what Shirel Dagan-Levy, CEO of Voice of the People — The President’s Initiative — said to the four of us: Paushali, Joel, Drora, and myself. That’s when JEXPO was born.

The Mission: Unity as the Solution

The goal is clear: To prevent the next October 7th. To prevent the next disaster of the Jewish people, through real encounters and experiences that create unity like never before. Because unity is the solution. With such a great mission, the first step is key:

THE EXPO OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE.