Confronting generational change, online, in politics, and in communities, emerged as a central takeaway from the first day of Jewish Federations General Assembly in Washington, DC.
  

“If you haven't seen the data of where Israel stands with kids under 30...These are the voters of the future with a major, major political statement. So, we have our work cut out for us. The task here is a major, long-term rehabilitation of the narrative around what Israel means,” said Rahm Emanuel, former U.S. ambassador to Japan and mayor of Chicago. “For those of us who believe in the U.S.–Israel relationship — in Israel as a democracy with the shared values and political culture that come with it — we’re going to have to roll up our sleeves. This is long-term work to make Israel a nation among nations again.” 

The  General Assembly, taking place this year between Sunday and Tuesday in Washington, DC, is the premier gathering of the Jewish community’s leadership with more than 2,000 attendees for the three-day conference.
 

Emanuel spoke during a panel with CNN contributor Scott Jennings and Fox News’s Jessica Tarlov that centered on the Jewish community in today’s political environment.
 

Jennings agreed with Emanuel that the narrative of US-Israel relations is a challenge.
 

“The manipulation of social media has convinced a whole bunch of young people who are looking for someone to blame for things that (Israel) is the correct enemy,” Jennings said. “On the other hand, when you have challenges like this, it's an opportunity to rethink how you're presenting arguments. It's an opportunity to find leaders who will stand with you, and it's an opportunity to realize you just can't coast when it comes to politics or messaging or anything else.”
 

The plenary opened emotionally, as four Israelis who had been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza took the stage to thank the Jewish community for its support. Guy Gilboa Dalas, Evyatar David, Avinatan Or—who were among the longest-held surviving hostages—and Noa Argamani, who was released after 246 days, spoke movingly about their hope for the future and the need for unity.
 

“Before I was taken down to the tunnels, I managed to hear the radio a little bit. I heard what was happening in Israel and across the globe, about all the love and the support from the Jewish communities in America and around the world,” Dalal said. “You prayed for me and for all the other hostages to get back home safely as soon as possible. You gave me hope and power."
 

“Our new journey is now only beginning, a journey of healing and coping together with our families and incredible people like you supporting us. We will recover, we will rebuild, and we will emerge stronger than ever,” David said.
 

Jewish Federations Chair Gary Torgow spoke eloquently about Jewish resilience.
 

"The Jewish people have endured discrimination for 1000s of years, pogroms, annihilations, Holocaust yet through it all, at every place in our history, these moments of tragedy somehow inspire us to become stronger and more united, because that is what the Jewish people do. We lift one another up. We rebuild together, and no matter what the tragedy or struggle, we move forward with hope and faith,” Torgow said.
 

Other speakers on Sunday included former White House speechwriter and author  Sarah Hurwitz, Israeli thought leader Micah Goodman, and vice president of Canada’s Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs Richard Marceau.
 

Each year’s General Assembly addresses the Jewish community’s defining challenges and sets the agenda for the year ahead. More than 2,000 Jewish leaders from across North America are attending the event, which this year focused on confronting the monumental challenges we face and leverage our powerful resilience to build a stronger and safer Jewish future.