We often hear that Israelis are resilient. They endure terror, loss and hardship, yet they keep moving forward, even after the horrific Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023. The story of Jewish resolve is a familiar one, going all the way back to the Maccabees and their defeat of the Assyrian Greeks, commemorated in the celebration of Hanukkah.

Today, being a Zionist requires resilience, too. Love of Israel—and the belief that Jews deserve self-determination in their biblical homeland—has come under attack. Zionists are harassed, silenced and targeted.

I feel it daily. Nevertheless, when Hamas still held living hostages, I wore a “Bring Them Home” dog tag along with my Magen David necklace. I advocate for Israel through calls, emails and my writing. My Zionism is not separate from my Judaism; it is central to my identity.

But in a climate of rising antisemitism, visibility carries risk. On a family trip to Montreal, friends urged me not to wear my Magen David for fear of becoming a target. As a compromise, I switched to a quieter symbol, a hamsa, along with the dog tag, which features a Jewish star on its reverse side. I understand the need for caution, but I refuse to hide who I am.

And who I am is a proud Hadassah Zionist; a lay leader in the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, where I lead a team that focuses on partnerships with Israel and Ukraine; a trustee of my deeply Zionist synagogue, Congregation Agudath Israel in Caldwell, N.J.; and an active member of the advocacy initiative End Jew Hatred.

Yet it is exhausting to face relentless hatred. My rabbi recently spoke of learned helplessness—the sense that nothing we do will change an outcome. Many Jews feel this way, but we must resist it.

Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur, in a recent Hadassah Magazine Presents podcast episode, reminded us that our forefathers persevered despite their handicaps: Abraham’s initial childlessness, Isaac’s blindness, Jacob’s limp, Moses’ speech impediment. Despite brokenness, they carried out God’s mission.

My husband’s parents were Holocaust survivors. They lost everything, yet when they reached the displaced persons camps, they and their families worked to earn enough money to immigrate to America. Starting with nothing, they built families and businesses, a living testament to resilience.

The same is true of Israel. From a barren, poverty-stricken land under Ottoman and British rule, Jews built a flourishing state.

Today, Jews around the world are under attack. We must not cower. We must not hide. Zionists must remain resilient—just as we always have—so that our children and grandchildren inherit a Jewish future of strength, pride and hope. 

Stephanie Z. Bonder recently completed her master’s in Jewish education at Hebrew University’s Melton School of Education. She’s a member of the Hadassah National Board, chair of Hadassah’s Speakers Bureau and was named to Hadassah’s 2025 list of “18 American Zionist Women You Should Know.”