A Statement from FJMC: Speaking Out with Compassion and Courage

Dear Members of FJMC International,

Our tradition calls upon us to not only study Torah but to live it—to be a light unto the nations and to pursue justice in all that we do. As members of FJMC International, we recognize that silence in the face of injustice is not an option. Our Jewish values demand that we speak out, that we bear witness, and that we stand alongside those in need.

Whether responding to historic moments, major world events, or the struggles of the marginalized, we affirm our commitment to tzedek (justice), rachamim (compassion), and achrayut (responsibility). We do this for the sake of our shared humanity, upholding our sacred obligation to repair the world—tikkun olam.

FJMC International will continue to issue statements and take action when our values call us to do so. We invite you to join us in these efforts, ensuring that our voices, our hands, and our hearts remain engaged in building a just and righteous world.

B’Shalom,
Bruce Tomar
International President
FJMC International
Friendship • Judaism • Mentorship • Community

A Statement from FJMC:
Speaking Out with Compassion and Courage

As men, as fathers, and as members of the Jewish community, we at FJMC—Friendship, Judaism, Mentorship, Community—can no longer remain silent in the face of human suffering. We write today with heavy hearts, not to take a political position, but to speak from a place of moral clarity and shared humanity.

The war between Israel and Hamas has brought immense pain and loss to countless lives. We have grieved deeply for our Israeli brothers and sisters, for hostages and soldiers, for those, and their families, murdered at the hands of Hamas on October 7. And today, we must also grieve—openly and honestly—for the innocent people of Gaza who are suffering, starving, and dying. They are civilians. They are children. They are human beings made in the image of God.

Our tradition teaches that silence in the face of suffering is not neutral. As Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel reminds us: “In any free society where terrible wrongs exist, some are guilty – all are responsible.”

We recognize our responsibility—as Jews, as men, as fathers, and as people of conscience—not to turn away from the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This responsibility does not excuse terrorism. It does not undermine Israel’s right to self-defense. Rather, it reaffirms our commitment to compassion, to human dignity, and to life itself. We therefore also call on the Israeli government to do everything in its power to reduce the suffering of innocent civilians and to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those who desperately need it. Justice and security for one group of people must never come at the complete expense of another.

We are pained by the silence we witness in much of the Jewish communal world regarding the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. We understand the fear of saying the wrong thing, of appearing disloyal. But true loyalty—to our tradition, our God, and our children—is not about silence. It is about chesed (lovingkindness), emet (truth), and tzedek (justice).

We are fathers who want our children to inherit a Jewish identity infused with integrity. We are men who believe that moral leadership includes grieving for all innocent lives. And we are a community committed to Jewish values that do not distinguish between Israeli and Palestinian children when it comes to their right to live.

In this moment of grief, confusion, and complexity, we offer a simple and unshakable pledge, rooted in the core Jewish value of b’tzelem Elohim—the belief that every human being is created in the image of God:

As fathers and as men, we pledge to care for all children—and all who are
vulnerable—as if their lives matter equally. We pledge to speak out when
others are silent, to feel when others go numb, and to act when
compassion is needed most.

With strength, humility, and hope,
FJMC International
Friendship • Judaism • Mentorship • Community