One people. One heart. Standing together. Rebuilding our homeland.

Last week, over 3,500 people gathered across Sydney, Melbourne and Perth for a series of Gala events that will be remembered not only for their scale, but for their clarity of purpose.

These were not simply UIA’s annual Gala events. They were moments of reckoning. Moments of unity. Moments that reminded us of who we are.

Each evening was carefully structured to take guests on a 106-year journey. From 1920, when Keren Hayesod was established as the original Foundation Fund for building the Jewish state, through wars, waves of terror, mass immigration, national rebirth and resilience, to this moment. A moment where once again, our generation is called upon to rebuild.

The evenings opened with reflection on where our community stands after the horrors of the Bondi massacre. The reminder that when one Jewish community is attacked, it reverberates across the world. The messages that poured in from Israel within hours. The visit of Israeli leaders who came not with statements, but with presence, the concept of “Aravut Hadidit” – mutual responsibility in action.

Bruce Leboff – Keren Hayesod-UIA Chairman, World Board of Trustees spoke powerfully about Jewish peoplehood and our shared story. He reminded us that the pain we feel for people we have never met is not accidental – it is solidarity, it is family. It is the understanding that Jewish continuity depends on our ability to stand together. That our story is shared. One fate. One destiny. Centred around the one and only Jewish state.

UIA Victoria President David Slade reflected on what he has witnessed firsthand on the ground in Israel – how supporting more than two million people across the country is not symbolic but essential work. How, the Foundation Fund is not abstract, it is the bedrock of Jewish continuity. He reminded us that we built the nation, we carried her through her darkest days, and now we must help rebuild lives, communities and confidence. He made it clear that this is our generational responsibility.

UIA NSW President Gary Perlstein echoed this sentiment, “It is our collective responsibility to help the People of Israel rebuild and thrive. UIA’s mission is to invest in Israel’s future and strengthen her people and that can only happen with a strong sense of Aravut Hadadit.”

We then heard from Michal Uziyahu, Mayor of the Eshkol region on the border with Gaza. Michal spoke about how her community in the south has endured unimaginable loss. She spoke of 259 lives taken. Of hostages. Of children who lost both parents. Of rising trauma and special needs. She described hugging her sons in the shelter and telling them “to snap out of it” because they had a purpose. Michal made it clear that October 7 changed her life. It changed ours too, “But it will not define us.” She also introduced us to the concept of radical hope – the belief that things will be better even when there is no evidence to prove it will. Her message was clear – the rebuilding is not a moment, it is a journey. That the Australian Jewish community has already proven that they are at her side and that we must remain by their side through the next chapter of rebuilding. By the time Michal concluded her speech, the entire audience was on their feet – the pulse, determination and motivation that Michal provided is one that will live on in everyone who witnessed her words.

Finally, the headline speaker, Former Israeli Ambassador to the US and former Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer came to the stage in a powerful and at times even humorous discussion led by Sam Grundwerg, World Chairman of Keren Hayesod-UIA. Ron’s historical and lived knowledge is unmatched – he shared stories of world leaders that those in the room will be quoting for years to come. But most essentially, he delivered a message of unity, leadership and strength. He reminded us that when your family is attacked, it affects you and that Jews have always been one family, from Abraham until now. He spoke bluntly about the long history of antisemitism – distilling it into a defining statement, that Israel is neither the cause of antisemitism nor is it the cure, but the first time in 2,000 years the Jewish people have the power to defend themselves. He urged us to unite, to lead and to fight. Not out of fear, but out of conviction. To remember that we did not come to Israel, or to Australia, to hide. That Jewish sovereignty means we have a shield, a sword and a voice among the nations. He spoke clearly about our responsibility to defend and invest in the future of the Jewish state.

Central to each event was the launch of the Rebuilding Israel Fund.

The Rebuilding Israel Fund is a long-term national recovery initiative focused on rebuilding bodies and minds, rehabilitating families and communities, and restoring resilience where it was attacked. More than two million Israelis are suffering from PTSD and related trauma. Tens of thousands are deeply affected. Hundreds of thousands of children need stability and care. The cost of treating PTSD alone is estimated at nearly 60 billion shekels annually for the next five years. This is not a short-term crisis. It is a generational responsibility and the Rebuilding Israel Fund (RIF) has been created to provide sustained, strategic support for that recovery.

In the launch video for the Fund, Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin, Chairperson of the Victims of Terror Fund for The Jewish Agency for Israel, reminded the Australian Jewish community that they have already proved themselves to be a powerful partner and supporter of the People of Israel. Now, she asked us to “rally once again. To recommit and partner in the long-term rebuilding of our homeland.”

The narrative arc of the evenings was deliberate and powerful. We saw archival footage of building the State. Supporting its people. Responding in times of crisis. Then came the pivot – “Tonight we enter a new era. Not only of instinctive response, but of meticulous rebuilding. Because rebuilding a homeland is never finished. We have done this before. We will do it again.”

Across three cities, the message was the same – “We are one people. One heart. Standing together and the Rebuilding Israel Fund is the next chapter in a 106-year story of responsibility.” The Fund ensures that the trauma of today does not become the destiny of tomorrow. It gives each of us the opportunity to do exactly as Ron Dermer urged in becoming equity partners in Israel’s future, transforming solidarity into sustained action.

UIA’s annual Galas may now have concluded but the time for commitment has not, indeed now is the time to give generously to the Rebuilding Israel Fund and secure the strength, resilience and sovereignty of the Jewish state for generations to come. You can do so via: uiaaustralia.org.au/donate