Less than one week ago, as part of a large contingent of Jewish leaders and supporters across the country, I was blessed to attend the annual summit in Washington D.C. of the largest pro-Israel organization in the United States. If you’re thinking it was JNF, AIPAC, or another major Jewish organization, think again. It was Christians United for Israel (CUFI). How did I, a Jew, a rabbi, end up at CUFI? If I go back to the beginning, it all started at Temple Emanuel in 2004. Noted author and radio host Dennis Prager, a man who I had never heard of until then, was the scholar in residence for that Yom Kippur when Hurricane Jeanne led to an evacuation of the synagogue. Sixty congregants led by Cantor Shifman and Dennis Prager ended up at my parents’ home for the entirety of Yom Kippur. It was the first time I had ever heard a Jew speak about Judeo-Christian values and about how those values shaped our nation’s history. I began reading his articles, listening to his radio show, and through Dennis, a religious Jew, came to learn about John Hagee, the pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. Pastor Hagee founded CUFI in 2006, an organization dedicated exclusively to supporting the State of Israel through philanthropy and advocacy that now boasts more than 10 million members. How extraordinary that the largest pro-Israel organization in our country is a Christian organization.
And so, this past Sunday I walked into a ballroom of lovers of Zion made up of thousands of Christians. Interspersed in the crowd, I instantly spotted the many Kippot. There were Orthodox rabbis, rabbis of other denominations, and Jews of all ages and backgrounds attending the conference to specifically express our gratitude to our Christian brothers and sisters, our allies in this war against antisemitism. We were treated like family. Kosher meals were provided throughout the conference, and one of CUFI’s founding principles was consistently honored: there was no attempt to convert or proselytize Jews. The absolute and unreserved love of Israel and the Jewish people enveloped me in wonder. Why did we Jews spend so much time explaining ourselves to those who hate us, trying to catalogue the ever-expanding technological accomplishments of Israel as if it will somehow convince anyone of the justice of our cause? Why do we bend ourselves into a pretzel to avoid seeming “overly pro-Israel” as if there is even such a thing? Why do we Jews avoid highlighting the most important reason for our Zionism, the Bible and God’s promise to us? This is where our Christian allies get it right and we miss the mark.
Over the years I have been to countless conferences of various Jewish Zionist organizations and it is quite telling that I had to wait to go to CUFI to be reminded of God’s irrevocable covenant with the Jewish people, found in Genesis 17:7-8, “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” That’s it, that is where our connection to Israel begins. Another resounding theme echoed throughout the conference, that of Genesis 12: 2-3, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.” The various speakers highlighted that America, currently celebrating its 250th birthday, has been blessed beyond measure because of its support of Israel, and if America ever abandons Israel, the blessings will evaporate. Their warnings were spoken directly to our politicians, especially those considering running for president: ten million Christians will not support politicians who have trouble standing against antisemitism and who do not unequivocally stand by Israel.
Pastor Russell Johnson, CUFI’s Washington State Director from Seattle, delivered one of the conference’s most stirring calls to moral courage as he recounted a harrowing year of being the target of death threats for his support of Israel. He declared that he stands against antisemitism “whether it comes from the radical right or the revolutionary left.” Each of us, from the hundreds of high school students to the retirees saving every last dollar to be able to attend this conference, was warned what could happen if we remained silent. Like Mordechai told Esther (Megillat Esther 4:14), “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Pastor Johnson brought that message to 2026 and rhetorically asked, “What in the world is the point of having influence if we don’t use it for the things that matter?” He is absolutely right. Instead of shirking away from groups like AIPAC, we should be proud of being associated with them. He concluded with an unapologetic affirmation of the biblical covenant: “All of Israel belongs to Israel, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan Valley and everything in between, because when God makes a promise, He intends to keep it. Israel is not an accident of modern politics. Israel is living proof that the living God keeps His living Word. He neither slumbers nor sleeps. He turns mourning into joy. Though the nations rage and kings conspire, the counsel of the Lord stands forever.” If only our rabbis roused us to such passion.
Glenn Beck advised us that we “have to teach our kids the why of supporting Israel” instead of merely assuming they will continue down the same path. What is that why? God made a covenant with the Jewish people to give them Israel, “a covenant and not a contract or a campaign promise.” He highlighted the Jewish roots of Jesus, stating that “if you cut Jews out of the story, you will cut out Jesus, the Jewish carpenter” and be left with nothing. He rallied against replacement theology and emphasized that Christianity never replaced Judaism, it simply added to the story, and was “grafted onto the root” as their scripture states in the book of Romans. In stark contrast, New York City’s First Lady Rama Duwaji is currently co-hosting a women-only spiritual retreat in Corsica focused on the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, describing her as “a Palestinian woman giving birth under occupation.” The historical distortion of the truth is astounding; Mary was a Jewish woman living in the land of Judea that was occupied by the Romans.
Pastor Hagee’s message resonated throughout the conference: faith must inspire action. Echoing the words of the Epistle of James that “faith without works is dead,” Pastor Hagee reminded the audience, “When you finish praying, get up and do something.” He challenged religious leaders and elected officials to move beyond words and into action, for example, by withholding federal funding from schools and universities that tolerate antisemitism. He urged churches and synagogues to build genuine relationships, insisting that an attack on the Jewish community is also an attack on Christianity. “If you are a pastor and you don’t know the Jewish leadership in your community,” he challenged, “make it a priority this week.”
This coming week is unique because we find ourselves in a bittersweet season of the Jewish calendar. We have just entered the “Three Weeks”, the period between the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha B’Av, when tragedy repeatedly struck the Jewish people and the Temple was eventually destroyed. Our tradition teaches that the Second Temple was destroyed because of Sinat Chinam, baseless hatred among Jews. This was the kind of hatred that destroys the unity among a nation and pits one person against another. We were punished because we lacked unity. But in Washington, D.C. last weekend, we found the antidote, love and unity in a convention center full of Christians reminding Jews that we belong together. Like Mark Levin said in his speech, “There are no Saturday people, there are no Sunday people. Together, we are the weekend people.”
As I left the CUFI Summit, I did not leave thinking primarily about politics. I left thinking about my responsibility to pray, speak, and act. My responsibility to stand shoulder to shoulder with those defending freedom and the Jewish people, and to express my gratitude to them for their unwavering support. As Parshiot Matot and Masei teach us this week, even the tribes that inherited land east of the Jordan had to contribute to the war effort alongside their brothers to conquer Israel. They understood that without unity, the nation of Israel would fall apart. And like Pastor Hagee reminded us, when Israel stood at the Red Sea, that was precisely when God displayed His greatest miracles. Perhaps our generation also stands before a sea. The answer is not despair. The answer is courageous and unapologetic unity among all who stand with Israel, coupled with the willingness to act on our convictions and affirm our faith in God’s eternal covenant. For it is then that God will reward us with miracles beyond anything we can imagine.
Dr. Lila Chertman is an endocrinologist based in Miami, FL born to Peruvian parents. She graduated from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine with Alpha Omega Alpha and Phi Beta Kappa distinction and participated on several medical missions in Peru. She completed her fellowship in Endocrinology at the University of Miami/Jackson Health System, and her Internal Medicine residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach. Dr. Chertman has published several medical papers and was a healthy policy intern for Senator Bill Cassidy in Washington D.C. As a resident she held leadership roles within the American College of Physicians, the Florida Medical Association, and the Peruvian American Medical Society. Lila is also a professional singer and Cantorial Soloist. Before starting medical school, she worked as the Cantorial Assistant at Congregation Bnai Israel in Boca Raton. She is a member of the Master Chorale of South Florida where she sang in productions including Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Verdi’s Requiem among others, as well as with Andrea Bocelli in Concert. Since 2022 Lila has been the Cantor for the High Holy Days at Temple Emanuel of Miami Beach. In June 2025, she received Rabbinic ordination. She is passionate about Zionism and has traveled with and served on the board of Jewish National Fund-USA in South Florida, and is a graduate of the American Jewish Committee Shepard Broad Fellowship.