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Why Every Jew Should Vote in the World Zionist Congress Election
People stand next to flags on the day the bodies of deceased Israeli hostages, Oded Lifschitz, Shiri Bibas, and her two children Kfir and Ariel Bibas, who were kidnapped during the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, are handed over under the terms of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Feb. 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad
My journey began with my grandparents, whose extraordinary lives shaped everything I stand for today.
My grandfather, a Moroccan Jew, was a courageous figure in the French Resistance, fighting to liberate the Jewish people during World War II. After the war, he played a pivotal role in the founding of the State of Israel, and served as a soldier in the Israeli army.
Though he was immensely proud of everything he had done for Israel, he carried a deep longing in his heart for his family abroad. His desire to reunite with them led him to leave Israel, and come to America.
My grandmother, a Hungarian Jew, was sent to Auschwitz at just 17-years old. During her time there, she was forced to work for Dr. Mengele, but it was her unshakable belief in God that helped her survive.
After the war, she spent time in a Swedish Displaced Persons camp, then returned to Hungary to discover that most of her family had been lost. Despite this tragedy, she had two siblings living in New York. Starting anew, she worked collecting rent in Manhattan before meeting my grandfather. Together, they built a home on the Upper West Side, grounded in their faith and belief in Judaism.
Their survival was not just a matter of circumstance — but of faith. They instilled in our family the importance of knowing who we are, where we come from, and standing strong in our beliefs. My father, who was president of our community synagogue, taught me to always fight for what is right, to never be ashamed of who you are, and to let my inner light shine despite opposition.
Fast forward to today — and I am a proud mother of seven children. Every morning, I wake up with the same fire that was instilled in me as a child. My goal is simple: how can I help my fellow Jews, my friends, my family, my community, and the world around me? How can I be a light?
I believe that our actions, our names, and the light we share with the world are what we are truly remembered for. While raising my family, I served on Jewish organizational boards to secure the future of Israel and Jewish life, and run a children’s accessories business that promotes Jewish values, giving back to those in need through donations to less fortunate and sick children in Israel.
October 7, 2023, was a pivotal moment. While I had always known antisemitism existed, I had never witnessed such a brutal form of it until that day. My husband and I felt compelled to take action. In response to the destruction and hatred, we decided to bring holiness to the very places where we were attacked.
With the help of great rabbis, we launched a project to write Torah scrolls at the Nova site where the Jewish people were meant to be destroyed. The project grew, and with it, our mission: to show that no matter how much hatred we face, we will always rise again in faith and light.
The bond between Jews abroad and our brothers and sisters in Israel is built on love, solidarity, and unwavering support. While they defend their homes and spiritual lives, we stand beside them, ensuring they never feel alone.
Our voices and unity give them strength, and it is our sacred duty to be their unwavering support. This is more than a moral obligation — it is a deep spiritual connection that compels us to stand together, now and always.
Throughout history, when faced with destruction, the Jewish nation has always found a way to rise. We do not respond with violence but with Torah, acts of kindness, and emunah (faith) in Hashem (G-d). This mission drives me every day — to ensure that future generations understand how to be a light in the world, to fight with kindness, and to stand firm in their Jewish identity.
This is why my mission is so clear: we must teach our future generations how to be that light — how to live with fire, to fight with kindness, and to be the peacekeepers in the world. We’re not here for war; we’re here for love, peace, and to embody our role as children of God. In doing so, we will always remain the light in the darkness.
This is why the World Zionist Congress (WZC) is so critical. It provides a voice for American Jews who care about Israel. By participating in the upcoming WZC election, we have the power to strengthen Jewish identity, support Israel, and ensure our voices are heard. This is why I am running — to amplify our collective voice, to bring awareness, and to ensure we stand strong together.
Every single person must vote this March. Our engagement is crucial in showing Israel that we are by their side — always. It is our shared responsibility to take action, to stand up for our people, and to secure a thriving future for Israel and the Jewish nation. Vote in the WZC elections and be a part of history. Our unity is our strength, and together, we will always rise.
Bari Erber is a highly successful entrepreneur, product designer, a mother of seven, and a passionate philanthropist. She is running on the Aish Ha’am slate for the World Zionist Congress in order to better represent American Jewry and the Jewish people.
The post Why Every Jew Should Vote in the World Zionist Congress Election first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Trump’s Travel Ban on 12 Countries Goes Into Effect Early Monday
US President Donald Trump attends the Saudi-US Investment Forum, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
US President Donald Trump’s order banning citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States goes into effect at 12:01 am ET (0401 GMT) on Monday, a move the president promulgated to protect the country from “foreign terrorists.”
The countries affected by the latest travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The entry of people from seven other countries – Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela – will be partially restricted.
Trump, a Republican, said the countries subject to the most severe restrictions were determined to harbor a “large-scale presence of terrorists,” fail to cooperate on visa security, have an inability to verify travelers’ identities, as well as inadequate record-keeping of criminal histories and high rates of visa overstays in the United States.
He cited last Sunday’s incident in Boulder, Colorado, in which an Egyptian national tossed a gasoline bomb into a crowd of pro-Israel demonstrators as an example of why the new curbs are needed. But Egypt is not part of the travel ban.
The travel ban forms part of Trump’s policy to restrict immigration into the United States and is reminiscent of a similar move in his first term when he barred travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations.
Officials and residents in countries whose citizens will soon be banned expressed dismay and disbelief.
Chad President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno said he had instructed his government to stop granting visas to US citizens in response to Trump’s action.
“Chad has neither planes to offer nor billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and its pride,” he said in a Facebook post, referring to countries such as Qatar, which gifted the U.S. a luxury airplane for Trump’s use and promised to invest billions of dollars in the U.S.
Afghans who worked for the US or US-funded projects and were hoping to resettle in the US expressed fear that the travel ban would force them to return to their country, where they could face reprisal from the Taliban.
Democratic US lawmakers also voiced concern about the policies.
“Trump’s travel ban on citizens from over 12 countries is draconian and unconstitutional,” said US Representative Ro Khanna on social media late on Thursday. “People have a right to seek asylum.”
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Israeli Military Says It Struck Hamas Member in Southern Syria
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, May 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/Pool
The Israeli military said on Sunday that it struck a member of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in southern Syria’s Mazraat Beit Jin, days after Israel carried out its first airstrikes in the country in nearly a month.
Hamas did not immediately comment on the strike.
Israel said on Tuesday it hit weapons belonging to the government in retaliation for the firing of two projectiles towards Israel for the first time under the country’s new leadership. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz held Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa accountable.
Damascus in response said reports of the shelling were unverified, reiterating that Syria does not pose a threat to any regional party.
A little known group named “Martyr Muhammad Deif Brigades,” an apparent reference to Hamas’ military leader who was killed in an Israeli strike in 2024, reportedly claimed responsibility for the shelling. Reuters, however, could not independently verify the claim.
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Israel Orders Military to Stop Gaza-Bound Yacht Carrying Greta Thunberg
FILE PHOTO: Activist Greta Thunberg sits aboard the aid ship Madleen, which left the Italian port of Catania on June 1 to travel to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid, in this picture released on June 2, 2025 on social media. Photo: Freedom Flotilla Coalition/via REUTERS/File Photo
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told the military on Sunday to stop a charity boat carrying activists including Sweden’s Greta Thunberg who are planning to defy an Israeli blockade and reach Gaza.
Operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the British-flagged Madleen yacht set sail from Sicily on June 6 and is currently off the Egyptian coast, heading slowly towards the Gaza Strip, which is besieged by Israel.
“I instructed the IDF to act so that the Madleen .. does not reach Gaza,” Katz said in a statement.
“To the antisemitic Greta and her Hamas-propaganda-spouting friends, I say clearly: You’d better turn back, because you will not reach Gaza.”
Climate activist Thunberg said she joined the Madleen crew to “challenge Israel’s illegal siege and escalating war crimes” in Gaza and highlight the urgent need for humanitarian aid. She has rejected previous Israeli accusations of antisemitism.
Israel went to war with Hamas in October 2023 after the Islamist terrorists launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing more 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to the enclave.
Katz said the blockade was essential to Israel’s national security as it seeks to eliminate Hamas.
“The State of Israel will not allow anyone to break the naval blockade on Gaza, whose primary purpose is to prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas,” he said.
The Madleen is carrying a symbolic quantity of aid, including rice and baby formula, the FFC has said.
FFC press officer Hay Sha Wiya said on Sunday the boat was currently some 160 nautical miles (296 km) from Gaza. “We are preparing for the possibility of interception,” she said.
Besides Thunberg, there are 11 other crew members aboard, including Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament.
Israeli media have reported that the military plans to intercept the yacht before it reaches Gaza and escort it to the Israeli port of Ashdod. The crew would then be deported.
In 2010, Israeli commandos killed 10 people when they boarded a Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara, that was leading a small flotilla towards Gaza.
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