Dear Friends:
Some of you I have already met in person. dolphinarium has brought us together. Unfortunately, grief brings people closer than joy does. This tragedy is the Baby Yar for our aliya. The blood of our children calls on us to do something we have not done before – to really become one family.

Until Israel becomes united, it will not win. And the unification has to start with our own “small country” – with our community, with the Russian aliya.

I invited here not only the victims and their families. We have among us all sorts of people who represent the variety of our community. We have psychologists who will talk to you about the best ways to help the victims. We have universally beloved Igor Guberman and Jan Levenzon. We have politicians, Avigdor Liberman and Alexandr Zinker. We have the media from main Russian-language publications.

I want this meeting in Eilat to be a family occasion, rather than an official one. Our family will mourn our deceased children together, and will rejoice together that God has saved our people and the life goes on.

Our family has a great task: leading Israel out of its crisis by inspiring it with new energy. Unfortunately, there are many who want us to fail.

The Arabs don’t want us to be here. The terrorists picked on our children to frighten us into fleeing the country.

But we will not leave. We will stay here, no matter what, because our children are buried here.

There are certain Israeli social groups who don’t want us here. They don’t want our aliya to deploy its potential fully and take leadership in the country’s development.

And still, we shall overcome. We will stay here. We will enjoy life, and we will make Israel strong, just, and prosperous. The Russian Jews created Israel. The Russian Jews will lead it out of the crisis in the 21st century.

This is up to you, kids. I am talking to those wounded at the dolphinarium. You have gone through this horrifying ordeal, and God gave you a second life so that you fear nothing. He wants you to love, to work, to create, and make Israel stronger.

And your late friends will watch over you from above – I’m sure they will – and they will help you. Their souls are among the army of the saints that protects Israel. And this is why we are invincible.

Happy New Year, dear friends!
I wish you health, much joy and happiness, in the strong and safe Israel.