“This people of mine, this nation of mine, has been such a light to me.”
This week, as Jews around the world celebrate the eight days of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, these words are fitting, aren’t they?
“In this holiday of lights, I just wish for one miracle. For the hostages to come home and the war to end…”
These words, spoken with both sadness and hope, perfectly summarize how all of us here in the Holy Land are feeling, as we enter the holiday season.
With Hanukkah this year coming at the same time as Christmas, it is a wonderful reminder for us all—Christians and Jews— that God’s light continues to shine through the darkness, and He continues to perform wondrous miracles which we still witness, and pray for, each day.
While Hanukkah commemorates the miracle of oil that lasted for eight days, it also celebrates the miraculous victory of a small rag-tag group of Jews, known as the Maccabees, over a much more powerful enemy who was trying to destroy their faith. The story of Hanukkah is a story of survival. It’s a story of heroism. And it’s a story of miraculous victory—of light over darkness, freedom over oppression.
This season of light and miracles is also a poignant reminder that the people of Israel are now more than 400 days into a battle for our very survival. Like last year, we observe Hanukkah against a backdrop of war, suffering, and loss. And as we have for thousands of years, we continue to defend our land and our faith, and trust that God will bless us with victory. With survival.
This Hanukkah, I want to share with you eight incredible stories of Jewish heroes whose lives have inspired and encouraged me during this season of darkness. All eight of their stories bring light to the darkness, and the miracles they experienced bring me hope this Hanukkah. I pray they will bring you light and hope, too.
Today, I share with you the story of Daniel Kopilov, a modern-day Maccabee. He has been a warrior of light and freedom for the Jewish people, and his story has been such an inspiration to me. I first met Daniel about two months ago, as he was preparing to leave the rehabilitation center where he has been since being wounded while serving in Gaza.
Daniel was born in Ukraine and made aliyah (immigration to Israel) with his parents in 2019 with the help of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, the organization I have led since the sudden death of my father, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, Fellowship founder, that same year.
Daniel came to Israel full of hope and a desire to contribute to his new homeland. After becoming an Israeli, Daniel joined the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to show his appreciation for his adopted homeland. When the horrific attacks occurred that October morning in 2023, Daniel was on Israel’s northern border, defending against rocket barrages from Hezbollah.
A month later, now a commander, Daniel was sent to Gaza. While he and his unit cleared a house where Hamas terrorists had been hiding, an explosion ripped through the air triggered by a booby trap in the house. Fifteen soldiers were badly wounded, including Daniel. In the aftermath of the attack, three of his closest friends had died, while Daniel was in a coma for three days and eventually lost his leg due to his injuries.
When Daniel and I talked, he had been in a Fellowship-supported rehabilitation center for more than five months learning to walk again. Despite the unimaginable loss he has suffered both physically and emotionally, Daniel looks to the future with hope. His goal is to become a physiotherapist so he can help other young soldiers like himself who have been injured in war.
Pointing to an Israeli flag on the wall given to him by a fellow soldier and marked with all the places in Gaza where they fought (including where Daniel was wounded), he said, “My friends didn’t die for nothing. I wasn’t injured for nothing. It was for my parents and all Israelis to be safe and to be free.”
Daniel is a shining example of the Hanukkah message of hope, redemption, and freedom. He represents the resiliency of the Jewish people. When I look at Daniel, I see the next generation of Israelis who have a desire for life, for joy and for seeking peace, but who, like the Maccabees thousands of years earlier, are also willing to stand up to defend our beloved land when our homes and children are threatened.
Daniel’s story is also a poignant reminder that the people of Israel continue to suffer as they fight against the darkness of terrorism. Now more than ever, they need your prayers and support. During this holiest time of year, I ask our Christian friends continue to light the way ahead for their Jewish brothers and sisters. Together, like the Maccabees, we can overcome our enemies and conquer darkness with the light of faith.
Yael Eckstein is President and CEO of The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, one of the world's largest religious charitable organizations. The Jerusalem Post's 2023 Humanitarian Award recipient and 4-time honoree on its 50 Most Influential Jews list, Yael is a Chicago-area native based in Israel with her husband and their four children.
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