On the second anniversary of the horrific October 7 attacks. IFCJ Canada Board Member Rabbi N. Daniel Korobkin talks about the Flags of Fellowship movement, it’s message that continues to reach millions, and why empathy still matters in an op-ed with RealClearReligion.com:
Ahead of the event, I must admit our congregation had concerns: Would there be backlash? Would we be targeted? But when the day came, the response was overwhelmingly positive. People stopped to look. They took selfies. They stood in silence among the flags. It became a place not of fear, but of unexpected friendship and true fellowship.
A year later, that message has only grown louder and more vital. Over 1,000 congregations and institutions have signed on to participate in Flags of Fellowship this year, sending a clear message to the world: We remember. We care. We stand together.
But this initiative is not limited to houses of worship. It speaks to all of us.
In the face of rising anti-Semitism and global unrest everywhere we turn, these small flags are more than fabric and poles — they are symbols of life, of moral clarity, and of light pushing back against darkness. They remind us that we are not helpless. That every individual, every family, and every community has a role to play in shaping a more just and compassionate world.
