Around dinnertime Monday evening, my phone lit up. Typically, I wouldn’t answer the phone during designated family time, but this caller was special.  

It was retired US Marine General Charles Krulak, a former Commandant of the Marine Corps and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Bill Clinton. For nearly 15 years, he has been a mentor – and a friend. I got to know him when he was president of a small liberal arts college I attended in my hometown of Birmingham, AL. He continues to serve as a trusted confidant. 

Gen. Krulak was calling in response to a text I had sent him. “It’s a very difficult time to be leading a Jewish agency and I was wondering if you’d be willing to talk me through some of the challenges,” I had written. “What’s going on, Sam?” he asked when I answered the phone.  

I took a deep breath. Then, I poured my heart out. I talked to him about the complexities and pressures of leading a Jewish agency at this time — when our world feels unsteady, the Jewish community is under attack, and hostility toward Israel, fueled by an endless barrage of unfair news coverage, seems to grow by the week. 

“You’ve got to lead with the truth – on all fronts,” he said. “Start with the facts, don’t lead with emotion. And tell your story far and wide. Don’t become insular or afraid. Emphasize nuance, educate your community. Be bold but not reckless – and understand the difference.” 

Gen. Krulak’s ties to the Jewish community and Israel are strong.

Though raised as a Christian, his Jewish roots run deep.  His father, also a well-known Marine general, was Jewish. Members of the Krulak family – Jews in Eastern Europe – were murdered in the Holocaust.  Serving as a young captain in the Vietnam War, Gen. Krulak was Israeli general Moshe Dayan’s personal escort during a trip Dayan made to Vietnam to write about the war for Life magazine.  

Gen. Krulak’s attachment to and admiration for the Israel Defense Forces runs deep.  He has visited Israel multiple times and “gets” the Jewish community. I’ll never forget the first time I connected with him. Gen. Krulak, who was serving as the college’s president at the time, attended our new and tiny Hillel’s First Annual Hanukkah Party — one of three people there. Gen. Krulak wanted to be sure Jewish students felt supported. And we did. 

Gen. Krulak acknowledged the Jewish world is complex today and in addition to the advice mentioned above, he said that relationships are crucial, especially when it comes to creating and sustaining allies. 

The word “relationships” stuck in my head after we finished our one-hour call. After all, building relationships is what we do at our Jewish Community Center – and Jewish Community Centers across North America – every single day.  

After our chat, I went to tuck my six-year-old son Max in for bedtime and was reminded that sometimes kids have an eerie way of knowing what’s on your mind and in your heart.  

“Do you think we’ll go to Israel one day?” he asked. Max must have overheard part of my conversation with Gen. Krulak. “Absolutely,” I said. “This year?” he responded. “Not this year,” I explained, “But soon. I know you’ll love it.”  

I turned off his bedroom light, a little distracted as I reflected on my phone call. “Mom,” he called to me as his eyes began to close. “I know I’ll love it, too.”   

Max will. And when he is ready to go, Israel will not only be there but will be there more vibrant than ever.  Indestructability is our Jewish community’s destiny and the underpinning of our strength and love for one another. 

Until then, I intend to lead with the truth, as Gen. Krulak counseled me, and to tell our story – the story of Israel, the Jewish people, the Indianapolis Jewish community, which I love, and our JCC – far and wide. Boldly, as he encouraged me, and unafraid. 

This is my promise to Gen. Krulak, my promise to Max, and my promise to all of you.  

Shabbat Shalom,

Sam Dubrinsky – JCC CEO