On October 7, 2023, I was in the German countryside at a friend’s wedding. I woke up to the news. I was the only Jew around. It took me three nerve-wracking days to get back home to my wife and kids in Israel.
When I returned, I sat with my two young boys and told them it was time for Dada to go to work in a way I’d never done before. I’ve always prioritized family over all else, but I knew the months ahead were going to be different, and I wanted them to know why.
They asked who I was going to work for and I answered directly: the Jewish people. They understood.
I have a boutique branding agency and we’re based out of Tel Aviv. Everything had been business as usual until 10/7. We have great clients. On the side, I’ve been personally advocating for the Jewish people and Israel for almost 20 years.
It’s always frustrated me that we’re such a quiet minority – that we don’t speak up for ourselves. Internally, yes. Externally, nowhere near enough.
On October 7, I posted a video to social media (I have around 100k followers in total) urging my Jewish community and our non-Jewish allies to be vocal.
And that’s still the work: to motivate people to fight the lies our enemies are spreading about us. For almost two decades I’ve seen on a smaller scale what happens when we don’t share our truth.
The narrative war
The narrative war is huge and it’s going to continue for a long time.
Armed with the right narrative, you can fight to make sure people understand us, you can fight for your people, your values, your country, and convince people who are on the fence about who we are.
But you can’t only do it in times of war; it’s something a community needs to invest time and effort in every day, all over the world. As a people, we have failed in that regard, and I made a big change in my life when I decided to take that on from my apartment this year, with the kids running around.
Yes, I’ve continued my client work, but everything has taken a backseat to my advocacy work. I’ve made films, animations and posters, social media campaigns, and mythbuster material.
I’ve tried to galvanize our community to say proudly, unequivocally, and publicly that they’re Jewish. I’ve been working night and day with supporters in Europe and on the East and West coasts of the US, along with many Jewish community leaders, hostage families, social media advocates and activists, allies and creative folks.
Putting my heart out there
It’s been exhausting because, in addition to living through and experiencing what everyone here is experiencing, I can’t really move forward as I’m living our reality like so many others. Somehow, I’m able to create and express what I’m feeling. And it’s resonating.
I’m putting my heart out there and sharing what’s on my mind, trying to fight the lies and ultimately strengthen my people and remind them what we’re made of.
We still have hostages who aren’t home. IDF soldiers on the front lines. Displaced families. Jewish folks around the world too afraid to say they’re Jewish for fear of repurcussions.
Personally, I’ve taken a hit too, of course. I made the informed decision of taking the fight to LinkedIn, which is where I market my agency. I’ve lost colleagues and clients. I’m okay with that.
This year has taken a lot out of me – out of all of us. It has been brutal. The tragedy here. The ongoing depressing situation. The blatant Jew hatred abroad. The double standards. The upside-down world.
There’s a black cloud that isn’t going away any time soon and my family and I feel it daily, along with everyone else in Israel. I miss my life, I miss being able to build brands, speak about branding and hustle for business and do what I do.
But let these be my problems. I can’t begin to imagine the pain of others who have gone through much more than many of us.
How to turn the tide
Right now I’m using what skills I have to deliver the truth of my people. Our country.
I know that silence is an existential threat for us and that only doing what I’m doing in terms of speaking up will we be successful in turning the tide.
Sometimes you have to lead by example, and more than anything, I’m trying to do that for my children. I’m trying to teach them that when push comes to shove, you follow your heart, you do what you know in your heart that’s right and good, and you do what you’re best at – you just put your head down and get on with it.
This has been the most difficult year of my life on many levels, as it has been for so many of us.
At the same time, I know how fortunate I am. I feel a deep sense of purpose receiving so many messages of gratitude and encouragement for expressing what a lot of people are feeling. It’s truly an honor to be able to do that.
Eitan Chitayat is the creative director and founder of the Tel Aviv-based international Natie Branding Agency. He’s the creator behind the “I’m That Jew” viral film and its grassroots Jewish Pride initiative with many other expressions that have been seen over 150 million times this past year.
Fighting for Israel's truth
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