‘This work is something I can’t turn away from’

Nivi Feldman is co-lead of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK

October 7 hit close to home – it could have been my kids, it could have been anyone’s. One of my children’s friends from summer camp was taken hostage. With no one in the UK to be his voice, I went to my first-ever protest.

It was an installation of empty prams outside parliament, symbolising the missing children. I took my six-month-old baby and placed his buggy there. When a journalist asked me why I was there, I shared the story of my child’s friend taken hostage. That moment changed everything.

From then on, I started attending and organising vigils and protests. During one of my son’s football practices, I had the young team sing a song for Ohad Munder, a nine-year-old hostage in Gaza. We recorded it and sent it to his family. When Ohad was released, he wanted to visit the UK and attend a football match. I helped arrange tickets for his family, and even got him into Harry Potter Studio for a tour.

As I became more involved with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, I helped coordinate visits for hostage families coming to the UK, ensuring they met impactful people in parliament; brought them to the party conferences and arranged for them to meet the Qatari ambassador.

I’ve played a role in organising numerous hostage-related events and marches, including 47 vigils in Borehamwood and a major event in St John’s Wood marking six months since the massacre, as well as the empty Seder table installation and a candle lighting vigil in Hendon.

The Jewish community has been consumed by worry and pain, and people need spaces to share that. At times, it can feel uncomfortable to openly state that you’re Israeli or Jewish, but these events bring us together. There’s strength in that.

I’ve always been a problem solver. Volunteering gives me a sense of purpose, keeping me busy and focused, while steering me away from the toxic world of social media.

But this work comes with sacrifices. As a mother of three young children, it’s not easy. My family misses me.

Yet, despite the challenges, I feel a deep responsibility. This work is something I can’t turn away from.

We cannot forget the hostages. Whether it’s attending a rally, leaving an empty chair or sending a card to their families, we must let them know they are not alone and keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

As told to Jane Prinsley

‘The hostages could be our kids or parents’

Orit Eyal-Fibeesh is the co-founder of 7/10 Human Chain

Before the war, I was part of a group of Israelis in London protesting against judicial reforms in Israel. We had planned a demonstration in Parliament Square for October 15, but after October 7, it was clear this was not the time for protest.

Though I’ve lived in the UK for more than 20 years, my heart has always been in Israel.

When the massacre happened, Israelis in the UK needed to come together. We decided to use the space we had reserved in Parliament Square for what became a makeshift shiva for the 1,200 souls murdered in the attack. We lit candles, said Kaddish and stood united in what became the first vigil in the UK. At the time, we believed 150 people had been kidnapped, so we printed posters of each one.

After the vigil, we covered London with hostage posters in what felt like a military operation, with different groups spreading images of the kidnapped throughout the city.

The Israeli embassy then organised a vigil in Trafalgar Square, and, knowing I could mobilise the community, they asked for my help.

We initially requested 160 volunteers to hold posters of the hostages. More than 1,000 people showed up, so we printed more posters. We wore T-shirts with the number 203 – the confirmed number of hostages at the time. Standing close together, we felt strong and united in our grief and advocacy. That’s when the 7/10 Human Chain movement was born, and we made a promise to raise awareness until every hostage was brought home. I helped to organise protests outside the Qatari embassy, the BBC, and the Red Cross. We’ve organised vigils and marches and even hosted a birthday party for Emily Hand while she was still in captivity to raise awareness. We’ve used every method to get the world’s attention.

When news broke of six hostages’ murders in Gaza, my heart shattered. I cry more than ever before, but there is always hope that some of the hostages will come home alive.

This is the first time in my 21 years in the UK that I’ve seen the Jewish and Israeli communities work so closely together. We fight for the hostages because we know they could be us or our children or parents. We fight for them because they are part of us.

As told to Jane Prinsley

‘Even when the war ends, our mission doesn’t’

Zak Wagman and Amber Pinto, both 26, run the Blue & White Club, which is part of Stand With Us. Zak is from Stanmore and Amber is from Radlett

After we saw that there was a gap in the market for social clubs aimed at pro-Israel young professionals in this country, we created the Blue & White Club in November 2022. There were already plenty of initiatives aimed at children and students, as well as older people, but not many for those in their twenties and thirties. We were our own target audience, young Jewish professionals, passionate about strengthening ties in our community and to Israel, and we realised that if we were feeling a certain way, others would likely be too.

Prior to October 7, we held an event for members about every quarter, and it was all about engaging with each other and Israel in social and positive ways. But after October 7, the demand for what we were doing dramatically increased.

Blue & White Club events, which now occur every two to three weeks, are split into social events, which are essentially to celebrate all things Israel, through Israeli music and culture nights. We also run educational events, whose purpose is to help keep people informed and give them the confidence to challenge or respond to things they know to be false.

Less than a week after October 7, we ran an online webinar with an IDF spokesperson for club members, and that same week, we sprang into action by running an event with a mental health psychologist to help people process their feelings, which was attended by more than 150 people. As well as mental health professionals, we have members of our community, from employment lawyers to paediatric nurses, who have run events and offered their expertise and guidance to other club members. Upwards of 750 young professionals – not all of them Jewish – have engaged in person with the Blue & White Club since October 7. More than 1,000 people read our weekly newsletter, and 600 people are members of the Blue & White Club’s WhatsApp group chat, to which Zak posts daily war updates and news.

Our roles in the Blue & White Club are entirely voluntary based. We’re genuinely passionate advocates for Israel, a country that has a fantastic story to tell and is a net positive to the world. When the war eventually ends, our mission doesn’t. We will continue. We did it before the war, we ramped up during the war, and we will continue after it.

As told to Daniel Ben-David

‘We need to connect the public to the hostages’

Heidi Bachram has been campaigning for the release of the hostages and against antisemitism in Brighton since October 7

Before meeting my Israeli husband, Adam, in 1993, my only experience of Israel was a friend who had gone to volunteer on a kibbutz.

For Adam and me, there was a before and an after October 7. It’s an entirely different universe now.
Adam’s 18-year-old cousin, Ma’ayan, was murdered by Hamas on the day and her father, Tsachi, was taken hostage. On the day Adam found out, on October 8, he filmed a student in Brighton celebrating the Hamas attack, which subsequently went viral on social media. For us, there was a real awakening at that time to that duality or dichotomy, and the lines separating the two became more clearly defined, as did the life we were going to lead now: one fighting terrorists and their sympathisers.

That first week, we were in this frenzy of shock and grief and horror. Things were chaotic, and we felt alone. Adam began speaking at the weekly vigil in Brighton, unaware at the time that he would find himself still speaking at it again and again and again so many months later.

We still didn’t feel like we were doing enough, even though he was speaking regularly at events and I was using my social media account, with more than 26,000 followers, to raise awareness, so we started the Yellow Ribbon Campaign. We stopped feeling so helpless once we started taking action.

Among the things we’ve organised these last months was the making of large hostage posters and speaking with people in the street about them, creating a giant yellow ribbon that we placed on Brighton’s seafront, and projecting the faces of the hostages onto Brighton’s cliffs. We think that if we can only make the British public connect to the hostages, if they can see themselves in them, we can make a real difference.

Brighton is unfortunately apparently one of the UK’s top 10 locations for antisemitic incidents, but we have wanted to show that we’re here also: we are visible, and we can shout just as loud. In a way, it’s kind of selfish too as it’s the only thing that stops the despair from creeping in. The horrors are so huge that they could swallow us whole if we let them.

Our single g oal of campaigning for the safe return of hostages has kept us energised and focused, and one foot in front of the abyss.

As told to Daniel Ben-David

‘We’ve found some fight in our community again’

Leeds Leads Against Antisemitism (LLAA) is a grassroots organisation. Chana Wynick, 37, from Alwoodley in Leeds, is involved

After October 7, it was a long first week. We were seeing memorials pop up around the country, but I didn’t feel like anything was said in Leeds until the middle of the first week, which felt like a long time.

Our group originated from three individuals – Jayne Wynick, Debbie Addlestone and Marshall Frieze – having a conversation and saying: “We want to be doing more, but we don’t know where to start.”

In November, Debbie heard a man shout, “F**ck the Jews” as she passed a pro-Palestine march, leading her to approach the West Yorkshire Police.

The officer said: “Where’s your community been? Why are you letting them have all the narrative? Why don’t you do anything about it?”

She said: “Well, I’m here now, and I’m going to definitely set something up.” We then began counter-protesting the Women in Black demonstration every week, handing out information about Israel. For years, they’ve stood silently in Leeds City Centre for an hour every Tuesday. They’ve always been pro-Palestine, but since October 7, it’s become more political.

At our counterprotests, 85 per cent of the public support us. Even if it’s just a thumbs up, or a “We’re rooting for you”, or a “We’re standing with Israel.”

We organised a march at Pesach about releasing the hostages and another in June about antisemitism.

Unfortunately, the Palestine Solidary Campaign (PSC) found out about the second one and counterprotested. I had a guy screaming “Nazi” in my face. I’m used to hearing it now, but he was foaming at the mouth – that’s how angry these people were.

We’ve since organised a Q&A session with senior members of the police and arranged talks by David Collier and Dr Jeremy Havardi on antisemitism and Israeli advocacy.

Recently, our three founding members put forward a motion at a Leeds City Council meeting, asking councillors to recommit to the IHRA definition of antisemitism for the whole of Leeds.

Apart from Mothin Ali of the Green Party, the council voted to accept it.

We’ve definitely had an impact in the north. Smaller communities in Newcastle, Sheffield and Bradford have felt like they have got something to cling onto.

We’ve found a bit of fight in our community again, which we needed.

"I’m proud of what we’ve achieved as a result of this awful situation.

As told to Imogen Garfinkel

‘A scrap of good news can make someone smile’

Yanky Fachler, a copywriter and member of the Jewish community in Ireland, began sending ‘positive news’ after October 7

Although I was born and raised in England for the first third of my life, I spent the next third in Israel, and I am, for all intents and purposes, an Israeli. I speak Hebrew fluently, and my head and my heart are always in Israel.

October 7 absolutely shocked me to my core. And, of course, with close family and friends in Israel, it made it all the more visceral. So, I thought to myself, what can I do to help? My military service was in the Seventies, so I knew I wasn’t going to be useful in any military capacity. What I do know how to do is to write, and I’m an optimist by nature, so I thought, why don’t I try and cheer people up in this dire time with stories that give them hope?

Within about ten days, I came up with the idea for Yanky’s morale-boosting doodles, a play on the song Yanky Doodle, and I started sending these out at a rate of about five a day.

So far, I’ve done about 1,500 since October 7, and I haven’t missed a single occasion.

I’m good at finding good news even within the bad news. Some stories I cover are not happy stories, but I’ll find something in them that makes someone smile.

In the early days, I was getting feedback from people who said that my doodles were the only thing that gave them any sort of relief and hope. If that worked for only one person I would have said: “Dayenu, that’s great.” But I get feedback like that from all over the world.

I have a mailing list of about 450 people, but in Dublin, there’s a member of the community who, for the past 20 years, has sent a weekly newsletter to more than 1,000 people in Ireland. From early on, maybe within the first few months, he has been reproducing my Thursday edition in his Friday newsletter so that all his readers get my morale-boosting doodles too.

I know that a lot of people send them to their friends. It’s gratifying and I love doing it. As the days sometimes get darker and the news gets darker, it’s not always easy to find glimpses of joy, but sometimes all it takes is a scrap of good news to make someone smile.

Anyone is invited to receive the doodles by emailing Yanky Fachler at: yankyfachler@mail.com.

As told to Eliana Jordan

‘It’s hard now to wear a Magen David’

Natan Paul-Collis, 19, is an actor and founder of the Jewish Dramatic Association of London (JDAL)

The acting industry is so competitive; it’s so oversubscribed. Therefore, you’ve got so many people out of work, and sometimes, that includes some of the best.

My grandmother was an actress, and she worked in Jewish acting groups. There’s a Jewish acting group in Manchester, so I thought: “I can join a London one.” But there wasn’t one in London, so I decided to make one.

I wanted to create something for Jewish people that caters to those who are looking for roles, but also at the same time, to make a safe space for young Jewish creatives at all stages of their career.

At the moment, in the industry, you’ve got a lot of antisemitism – including some antisemitism which they won’t admit as they use euphemisms for it – and therefore Jewish people feel less comfortable. Most people just regurgitate, and they don’t think of the consequences.

I chatted to JDAL cast members, and a lot of them were worried about what other people think. They can’t wear a Star of David without wondering if someone’s going to make a comment like: “Oh, you’re a genocidal maniac.”

The whole purpose of JDAL is to have Jewish writers, actors and directors put on high-quality shows for Jewish audiences. We put on our first event at Upstairs at the Gatehouse in Highgate, and we had one of our actors straight off the West End, who had co-starred alongside Tracy-Ann Oberman. It’s a place where the inexperienced can mix with the highest level.

We’ve got to grow the project now, and I’d like to think that before we do another show, we could put on classes at, say, JW3, because it’s good to learn as well as perform. My target is that I want every Jewish person in London, if not England, eventually to know about JDAL and I want its shows to be part of the Jewish calendar.

As told to Elisa Bray

‘We’ve sent 19,000 emails through dozens of campaigns’

Nadine Lewis is the campaign manager for Northern Advocacy Group (NAG)

The Northern Advocacy Group – NAG – for Israel was founded by members of the Manchester Jewish community who were frustrated by the understandable but repeated practice of sharing WhatsApps about anti-Israel and anti-Jewish bias following the horrors of October 7. Rather than talk to each other, NAG felt the Jewish community needed a simple way to be mobilised as individuals in a quick, powerful and efficient way through targeted campaigns. This was the basis of our unique approach.

It was important to make NAG specifically northern so that we were able to respond quickly to individual needs, as we did in the case of Manchester-based chartered psychologist Sandi Mann – getting BACP (the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy) to reverse a decision not to publish an article she wrote for their professional journal about the response of Jews in Manchester to October 7.

We have achieved this and other victories through our unique one-click campaigns. We give participants an opportunity to send pre-populated emails to those who demonstrate egregious views about Israel and the Jewish community, and demand change. It takes minimal effort to just click on a link and send an email, although we encourage people to make each one personal. So far, through our call-to-action group, we’ve sent more than 19,000 emails as part of dozens of campaigns.

Another successful campaign involved the removal of comedian Reginald D. Hunter from a Manchester comedy tour line-up after he made antisemitic remarks during a live show and on social media. We put together a one-click campaign, and several thousand emails were dropped in the managing director’s inbox over the course of 24 hours. Hunter was removed from the line-up in response.

We also host high-profile events to hold institutions such as the BBC and the universities to account over their seeming inability to deal with antisemitism. We held a groundbreaking live event with the BBC, attended by 500 people to put the corporation to proof. This has triggered an ongoing dialogue between NAG and the BBC in an attempt to address enduring problems of bias. There have been some successes already, including getting inflammatory headlines changed.

NAG’s unique aim is to empower individuals through advocacy, which is why we have no figurehead. The focus is the community – empowering them with ways to fight back and make change.

As told to Eliana Jordan

‘No one seemed to care that Jews didn’t feel safe at a national LGBTQ+ event’

Max Royston, 28, is an LGBTQ+ activist from north London

I was in Israel on October 7. When I woke that morning, the world had changed. But when I returned to London a few days later, I was shocked by the lack of empathy towards our community.

I expected sympathy, but instead, I saw hostility that only grew. For three months, I grieved while the world carried on. Then, thousands took to the streets – not to mourn, but to celebrate terror.

Since that day, many in our community have been feeling the need to hide their identity. I, too, felt uncomfortable at work, hesitant to say I was a Zionist.

Growing up, it had always been my identity as a gay man that I had feared revealing. Since October 7, it has been my identity as a Jew that I have felt pressure to hide.

My perspective shifted when I attended my first counterprotest at an anti-Israel rally. It felt empowering to stand up proudly for my identity. More than a protest, it became a way to make ourselves visible and educate people about Israel. When people saw the sea of blue and white, many found hope. It was the first time I felt the power of standing up publicly as a Jew.

London Pride was the catalyst for real change. After October 7, I knew I wanted to march in a Jewish bloc like I had done for years. But when Keshet UK pulled out of Pride due to security concerns, I was shocked at the lack of attention. Beyond Jewish media, no one seemed to care that Jews didn’t feel safe at a national LGBTQ+ event.

It was the first time I felt my Jewish identity was under more attack than my queer one. Being a gay Jew means being a minority within a minority. Pride is often the first time LGBTQ+ Jews see others like them and the thought of young Jews missing that opportunity pushed me to act.

Together with a friend, we organised a Jewish Pride party at Miznon restaurant, and more than 1,000 people came to celebrate. The streets of Soho were filled with Jewish pride and Israeli flags. Pride is about standing tall in who we are, and that day, we did that.

Since then, I’ve been advocating for LGBTQ+ Jews, addressing venues that exclude Zionists and starting conversations about antisemitism in the queer community. We cannot let antisemitism be normalised. Now more than ever, we must stand proud and fight for our future.

As told to Jane Prinsley

‘I want to do good in memory of Liel and Yannai’

Niki Ehrlich, a fundraiser for CST and the Campaign Against Antisemitism, is from Cockfosters in north London

On October 7, our family was forever changed when my beloved niece and nephew, 12-year-old twins Yannai and Liel, were murdered in a terrorist attack on Kibbutz Be’eri.

There was a huge feeling of helplessness after what had happened. Being over here in London, very far away from what was going on, left me not knowing how to help or what to do. That was made worse by seeing the ensuing reaction of the world, and especially the rising antisemitism here in the UK.

I was seeing so much stuff on Instagram posted by the CAA and CST that the only thing I could think of doing that would certainly help was to raise money for charities that at least protect and ensure the safety of the Jewish people here.

I created a fundraiser in honour of Liel and Yannai, and, in their memory, we have so far raised close to £55,000 for CST and Campaign Against Antisemitism.

We have carried out, and will continue to, 12 mitzvot – one for each year of the twins’ lives – in their name to honour their memory and show the world that kindness is the way to make a change.

I wanted to do the mitzvot in a natural way and have instilled into my little one that it’s simply a way of life. I made a mental note that any acts of kindness or mitzvot we did in the months following was in the name of the children; from my son helping his grandpa walk on his Zimmer frame to letting people have extra goes on things in the playground, lighting the Shabbat candles while thinking of the children, letting people go in front of us at the supermarket, buying food for homeless people and my son giving away his football cards to his friends.

I don’t feel like an “unsung hero”. I’ve never done a fundraiser before, and it honestly doesn’t feel like much in terms of what other people are doing. You can’t undo something so terrible – it’s almost like nothing helps. But I’m just glad that at least I could raise money for these really important charities so they can continue their great and vital work, which will help the UK Jewish community.

I’m hoping that people will continue to donate more money in memory of Liel and Yannai. May their memories be a blessing and may the world know peace. Am Yisrael Chai.

As told to Elisa Bray