During the annual gathering of the Derech Ami Association on Tuesday night at Hangar 11 in Tel Aviv Port, two influential voices arose as beacons of unity and inspiration for post-October 7th Israel: Iris Haim, mother of the late Yotam Haim, and business magnate and philanthropist Yitzhak Teshuva.
Addressing over 1,500 students engaged in Derech Ami's educational programs nationwide, Haim was honored with the inaugural "Derech Ami Award for Jewish Identity," while Teshuva gave a heartfelt speech on faith, resilience, and the strength of belief.
Iris Haim, whose son Yotam was kidnapped to Gaza and tragically killed by Israeli fire, has become a symbol of Jewish unity and fortitude. In her speech, she expressed how the October 7 attacks shifted her perspective.
“Before October 7th, I would have defined myself as most Israeli. Since then, several things have happened, and today I understand that we are first and foremost Jews,” she said. “Hamas didn’t distinguish between those who go to pray on Shabbat and those who went to play music, like my Yotam.”
She went on to describe how the tragedy opened her eyes to the false divisions within Israeli society. “Before the war, an ultra-Orthodox person was a stranger to me,” she said. “After I learned that one of the soldiers who died near Yotam’s house was an ultra-Orthodox boy from Beit Shemesh who served in Duvdevan, I realized that all these labels, religious, secular, are inventions. Today, I understand there is only one definition: Jews.”
Yitzhak Teshuva, a longtime supporter of Derech Ami and one of Israel’s most influential entrepreneurs, addressed the audience with both a tribute to Haim and a personal testimony of faith. “You are the glory of the people of Israel,” Teshuva said to Haim. “You are a heroine. About you it will be written in the Book of Chronicles: ‘A woman of valor, who can find?’ You deserve all praise for the glory of the State of Israel.”
Teshuva then turned to the students in the crowd, urging them to believe in themselves and in their people. “You must believe, want, envision, and nothing will stand in your way. I came from a home of 11 people in one room. We had nothing, but I was always happy, always dreamed,” he said.
Describing his unlikely success in Israel’s energy sector, Teshuva recalled how faith led to breakthroughs where others failed. “For 50 years, people searched for oil and gas and found nothing. I had no expertise, but I drilled 11 boreholes, and nine were successful. Today, Israel is an energy-independent country, thanks to belief and determination. Believe, want, and you will achieve.”
The Derech Ami Association, named after Lt. Col. Emanuel Moreno, promotes Jewish identity among Israeli youth by creating learning environments for both secular and religious students. Under the leadership of CEO Rabbi Kobi Volk, the organization has rapidly expanded, particularly since the outbreak of the war.
“Since October 7th, the number of students in our programs has doubled,” Volk noted. “There is a growing thirst among young Israelis to connect with their roots and heritage.”
Volk also announced the launch of a new initiative, “Resilience for Reserves,” aimed at supporting students who are also IDF reservists. Teams trained by the association will now provide emotional and spiritual support to those dealing with the war’s aftermath.
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall, praised both Haim and the students: “You strengthen us all. Continue to connect the Jerusalem above and below, Israeli and Jewish, Torah and proper conduct.”
Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu echoed the sense of generational connection: “Iris planted in me the faith of thousands of years. She connects the past, the future, and brings hope into the present. We belong not only to this generation but to our shared history – from King David to Ben Gurion.”
