“This people of mine, this nation of mine, has been such a light to me.”
This week, as Jews around the world celebrate the eight days of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, these words are fitting, aren’t they?
“In this holiday of lights, I just wish for one miracle. For the hostages to come home and the war to end…”
These words, spoken with both sadness and hope, perfectly summarize how all of us here in the Holy Land are feeling, as we enter the holiday season.
With Hanukkah this year coming at the same time as Christmas, it is a wonderful reminder for us all—Christians and Jews— that God’s light continues to shine through the darkness, and He continues to perform wondrous miracles which we still witness, and pray for, each day.
While Hanukkah commemorates the miracle of oil that lasted for eight days, it also celebrates the miraculous victory of a small rag-tag group of Jews, known as the Maccabees, over a much more powerful enemy who was trying to destroy their faith. The story of Hanukkah is a story of survival. It’s a story of heroism. And it’s a story of miraculous victory—of light over darkness, freedom over oppression.
This season of light and miracles is also a poignant reminder that the people of Israel are now more than 400 days into a battle for our very survival. Like last year, we observe Hanukkah against a backdrop of war, suffering, and loss. And as we have for thousands of years, we continue to defend our land and our faith, and trust that God will bless us with victory. With survival.
This Hanukkah, I want to share with you eight incredible stories of Jewish heroes whose lives have inspired and encouraged me during this season of darkness. All eight of their stories bring light to the darkness, and the miracles they experienced bring me hope this Hanukkah. I pray they will bring you light and hope, too.
Today, I share with you the inspirational story of Keith Isaacson, head of security for the Eshkol region, whose bravery under terrorist fire is nothing short of miraculous. The Eshkol region is just east of Gaza, and when hundreds of rockets began to fall on southern Israel and Hamas terrorists began to infiltrate the border, Keith did not run for safety.
Instead, like the brave Maccabees before him and many other Israelis that day, Keith ran toward the danger. He jumped into his Toyota truck and raced to the thick of the fighting. Thankfully, for Keith, his truck was an armored vehicle provided by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, through the generous support of our Christian donors and friends.
As he drove toward the fighting, two heavily armed groups of terrorists began peppering the truck with assault rifles upon realizing that Keith was not also a terrorist. But because of the truck’s armor, Keith remained safe and kept driving. Pointing to the bullet-riddled security truck, Keith says, “This is the only reason I am alive.” And because Keith survived that harrowing encounter, he was able to notify his team of the incoming danger, help rescue countless other innocent Israeli lives and help defend his homeland.
Today, Keith continues to provide security for the Eshkol region, constantly looking for new ways to improve protections for the region and prevent future attacks. “We all have to be stronger and rebuild our region,” he says. But the trauma of that day lingers and Keith lives with the tension of knowing that such an attack could happen again.
As Keith and his family gather to light the menorah of Hanukkah, his thoughts and his hopes are centered on the people and communities he has vowed to protect. “The issue of returning to the Gaza envelope [the southern region of Israel nearest the Gaza border] and the affected communities is close to my heart,” he says. “As a nation, we need to rehabilitate the communities that have lost so much and help people return to normal life and bring the Gaza envelope back to life.”
These are the words of a true hero. They remind me of the heroic stance of the Maccabees thousands of years earlier, who fiercely and courageously fought to retain our Jewish identity and faith. It is because of heroes like Keith that we can share the light and miracles of the Hanukkah season and proudly proclaim, Am Israel Chai (the Nation of Israel lives).
Keith’s story is also a poignant reminder that the people of Israel continue to suffer as they fight against the darkness of terrorism. Now more than ever, they need your prayers and support. During this holiest time of year, I ask our Christian friends continue to light the way for their Jewish brothers and sisters. Together, like the Maccabees, we can overcome our enemies and conquer darkness with the light of faith.
Yael Eckstein is President and CEO of The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, one of the world's largest religious charitable organizations. The Jerusalem Post's 2023 Humanitarian Award recipient and 4-time honoree on its 50 Most Influential Jews list, Yael is a Chicago-area native based in Israel with her husband and their four children.
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