(AJNews) – Renowned Israel advocate Jonny Daniels was greeted with overwhelming support and enthusiasm in Alberta last week.
In Edmonton, Jonny Daniels, was honoured to meet Ann Davis Secter, a 96 year old survivor of the Holocaust. She and her three daughters took part in the Survivor Torah Project, filling in a letter of the unfinished Torah in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. Photo by Jewish Federation of Edmonton.
Hosted by the Calgary Jewish Federation, Daniels, the founder of From the Depths, was in Calgary October 19 and 20. Hosted by the Jewish Federation of Edmonton, he was in Edmonton the following two days.
Daniels, a former IDF paratrooper and senior adviser in the Israeli government, spoke to a full house at Beth Tzedec in Calgary. He began his presentation with a brief update on the war in Gaza, the jubilation at the news that all 20 of the living hostages have been returned and are now safely in Israel and the concern that some but not all of the bodies of deceased hostages have been released – 13 bodies are still being held captive by Hamas terrorists.
Daniels then opened the floor to a Q and A, inviting the audience to ask him anything and promising to answer with an unfiltered perspective. He addressed all the key points with a matter-of-fact pragmatism, the massive fail of the Israeli government on October 7 and the challenges of fighting an enemy in a dense urban environment who uses civilians as human shields and civilian gathering places as headquarters. He discussed the harsh political climate of the surrounding areas and the mistrust and demonization on all sides. He also marvelled at Israeli technology, the IDF and their respect for minimizing civilian casualties.
He said that despite the difficult road ahead, Israelis are strong, resilient, smart and community minded. Their future will be secure. And the most important thing for Jews in the Diaspora, he said, is to teach our children to be proud of their Jewish heritage.
Daniels’ presentation in Edmonton at Beth Israel followed the same format and the audience appreciated his tone and his candor. He concluded his address with a moving description of his work preserving Jewish heritage across Europe and with Holocaust remembrance.
In both cities, he was honoured to meet separately with Holocaust survivors and their descendants to share his devotion to his Torah project, and the importance of Holocaust remembrance and education.
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