voices of determination: elana kaminka

Meet Elana Kaminka, activist with Tag Meir

On October 7th, Elana Kaminka’s world imploded when her beloved eldest son, Yannai Kaminka, a 20-year-old in the IDF, was killed while fighting Hamas terrorists in southern Israel. Even prior to that day, Elana and her husband, Eyal, were dedicated to working for a better Israel. For nine months, they demonstrated in support of a democratic Israel and against the government’s planned judicial coup. Elana was involved in Tag Meir, a coalition of anti-racism, pro-solidarity activists across the religious spectrum.

In the face of the tragic loss of their son, Elana’s commitment to peace hasn’t wavered — it has only grown stronger. “I hope that this horrific situation will somehow lead our peoples to learn, at long last, how to live together with mutual respect, so that there will be no more parents — Israelis or Palestinians — who will grieve for their children,” she says. “There is no other way.”