Yael's Holy Land Reflections

The Heroes to Remember This Father’s Day

June 17, 2022

As we prepare to celebrate the fathers in our own lives, Yael writes at Newsweek that we should also remember the brave fathers fighting for peace and freedom in Ukraine:

As Father’s Day draws close, many are asking themselves, “What should I get dad?” I know from experience that fathers can be hard to shop for. Many can relate to the feeling of spending a small fortune on a gift you are convinced he will love, only to see it collecting dust on a shelf. This year, however, some children are asking an entirely different question, “Is he alive?”

That’s the question that Alexandra Palagiy and her 5-year-old son Andrey are asking as they sit in their home in Ukraine. Until recently, the Palagiys enjoyed the happy life of an ordinary family. Andrey, the apple of their eyes, is a curious young man who loves to explore the outdoors. The Palagiys are not rich, but they’ve worked hard to ensure Andrey lacks nothing. And, most important, they have each other.

Their world was turned upside down when Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Ivan, the father and the man of the family, was mobilized to fight for his country. Now he, and many other Ukrainian fathers like him, are defending the peaceful life of their families and of the whole country on the front line…

Read Yael’s Father’s Day message at Newsweek.

With blessings from the Holy Land,

Yael Eckstein
President

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