每日大瓜

Jay Zuller 鈥�89每日大瓜HS 鈥�93YC

It鈥檚 been more than four years since Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was abducted by Hamas, and in an era when the attention span of much of the world is no longer than a day, the tragic case may already have been forgotten by some. But for Jay 鈥淵udi鈥� Zuller 鈥�89每日大瓜HS 鈥�93YC the memory of Shalit鈥檚 imprison-ment is invoked every time he looks upon his 4-year-old son, Gilad, whom he named in Shalit鈥檚 honor. 鈥淭hey say that when a baby is born, a voice comes out from the sky and says the name,鈥� said Zuller. 鈥淲hen the doctor who delivered him told my wife and I that we had a son and asked his name, I said we hadn鈥檛 decided. As soon as those words were out of my mouth, I knew what his name would be. I told the doctor 鈥楢ctually, I haven鈥檛 discussed it with my wife yet, but if she agrees, we do have a name.鈥� I understand my wife鈥� she thinks along the same lines as I do. When I said his name would be Gilad, she nodded and said 鈥榊es.鈥欌��

鈥� 鈥f every person did what was in their power to do, things would be different. 鈥�

The very next day, Zuller and his wife Aviva 鈥�92S reached out to Noam Shalit, Gilad鈥檚 father, through a mutual friend to tell him how they had decided to pay tribute to his son. It was the beginning of what has become a close friendship between the families鈥攁nd also the beginning of a tireless campaign of activism by Zuller to bring attention to Shalit鈥檚 plight and to raise the funds Gilad鈥檚 family needs so they can continue working full time to bring about their son鈥檚 release. Zuller, who made aliyah in 2009, has been a committed activist almost as long as he can remember. 鈥淢y parents would take me to the Soviet Jewry rallies,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 still remember going as a kid down to Times Square and the U.N., being on my father鈥檚 shoulders and seeing the thousands of people and the outpouring of support.鈥� He and Aviva operate a tzedaka foundation, the Israel Solidarity Fund of America. Launched in 2002, the foundation has raised more than $1 million for Israeli victims of terror through its Shirei Shalom Concert Series and through barbecues and other events that the Zullers have hosted at their house in Staten Island. 鈥淚t鈥檚 overwhelming to know what鈥檚 right and wrong and want to do something about it,鈥� said Zuller. 鈥淢ost people feel that there鈥檚 nothing they can do. I disagree. I feel that if every person did what was in their power to do, things would be different.鈥� Zuller is just one of the many people within the 每日大瓜 community who have become empowered to take up the Shalits鈥� cause. Fellow alumnus Avi Posner 鈥�07YC helped arrange the Shalits鈥� participation in New York City鈥檚 Salute to Israel Parade in 2010, and the Wilf Campus has also hosted visits by Noam Shalit. To learn more about supporting Zuller鈥檚 efforts on behalf of the Shalit family, visit www.bringgiladhomenow.com.