Standing with the Idan Amedis of Israel

In a world that has literally gone mad, we have to hold onto what we know to be right and look to the quiet heroes among us.

Idan Amedi is one such example.

Amedi is a singer-songwriter and an actor. He’s famous in Israel and has, most recently, been known for his role on the popular show Fauda. He has looks, wealth, fame…he has it all.

He regularly shows up for his reserve duty in the army, working tirelessly with his fellow soldiers and occasionally getting photographed by people who get a kick out of seeing a Fauda star in his real role – as a soldier and member of the nation.

At any time in the past number of years, Amedi could probably have gotten out of his reserve duties; similarly, after the massacres of October 7^th he could have bowed out of the war. He chose to serve, however, as part of his unit and as one among our people. Injured in an explosion in Gaza on January 8^th to the point of being “unrecognizable” when he entered the hospital, Amedi spent time in the intensive care unit before slowly recovering. At a press conference upon his release from the hospital he brought us all to tears speaking of the heroism of his soldiers, who lost their lives, and the long physical and emotional recovery ahead of him.

Recently, when he was asked to be one of the 12 Israelis honored to light a torch at the national ceremony for Independence Day, he turned down the honor. As he said on Instagram, “There’s no greater honor but unfortunately I cannot accept the honor this year. So many heroes were discovered on that same black Shabbat. Some were my troops in the past or in the current war. This year I’ll stay home and commune with their memory, like many others in the nation of Israel. I hope perhaps in the future I will be granted the merit to raise a torch thanks to the words I write and not due to war heroism.”

Idan Amedi is famous so his story is an inspiration to all. We also walk among regular heroes. Our sons and daughters; our brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers; our friends and neighbors. Everyday people…Shiloh and Ephraim; Samo and Eitan; Eyal and Dvir all who dropped everything to serve our people. Some tragically have fallen. Others have been physically injured and still others may suffer psychologically for years to come. We are a nation of heroes; currently a scarred nation, but we will overcome.

Among many others, comedian Hanoch Daum has used his social media as a platform for spotlighting the sacrifice and selflessness of so many since the war started. These are adults from all walks of life who were juggling careers, businesses, family life and so much more before the war; they all dropped literally everything to join the cause, and Hanoch has created an incredible resource listing many Tzav 8 businesses around the country that need support.

In a world gone mad, I am grateful for the guiding light we receive from such heroes. These are giants of our people reminding us what is right and just, true and worthwhile; reminding us that we are fighting for our very survival as a people and a nation.

In a world gone mad, I am grateful that my children have these examples and role models.

In a world gone mad:

Hamas rapes, murders, mutilates and kidnaps more than 1500 people, proudly recording much of it, and many around the world dismiss these accounts and even deny they happened.

The first-person accounts of rape by women held captive in Gaza for 55 days are ignored by women’s rights organizations and “progressives” around the world.

Hamas keeps over 130 of our people hostage and refuses over and over again to negotiate for their return; people taken in their pajamas from their homes in their own country; people whose first birthday, and 86th one, have occurred while they’ve been in captivity.

The world screams for a cease fire disregarding the hostage lives or the lives of close to 10 million people who need to be able to live in their own homes and their own borders in peace.

Hospitals in Gaza are stockpiling weapons in their MRI machines and maternity wards are used as battlegrounds and hotbeds of terrorist activity. Schools and homes are used as weapon depos and entry points for miles upon miles of underground terror tunnel networks.

The words “allowed for publication” shatter the news cycle daily, if not hourly, reporting the murder-in-battle of yet another young, dedicated, Zionistic hero of Israel.

A few hundred thousand people are still without homes in Israel; still refuges in their own country while insecurity and fighting in both the north and south make it impossible to return home.

Hamas applauds the UN Security Council’s vote demanding a ceasefire through Ramadan, and people still think the move is justified. Ramadan is the focus of so much attention and worry, while entirely disregarding that this unprovoked war started on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah and has continued through Hanukah, Purim and soon-to-be Passover.

Jews around the world, and particularly on college campuses, are tucking in their Jewish symbols and suffering from antisemitism the likes of which haven’t been seen in half a century.

In our world gone completely mad:

I’m sticking with the Idan Amedis among us. With the incredible stories of heroism, Zionism, faith, love of Land and commitment to the thousands of years of Jewish history that have made us who we are today. We are moving through one of the most painful and isolating chapters in modern history for the Jewish people and Land.

And I, I am on the side of Idan Amedi.

And I am honored that these are the examples my children are being raised to see of humility; of fighting for what is right and good and true in the world; of risking for the greater good of the people; of understanding your place as an individual in the larger society and understanding the importance of that society.

In a world gone mad, where the pain is never-ending, where the news cycle screams at us from every side, where we visit shiva houses weekly and interact with those who have lost loved ones to terror daily, I’m with all of the Idan Amedis of our nation.

And I hope and pray that you are, too.