By Deb Silverthorn

The Dallas chapter of Hebrew Order of David will host an evening of unity and purpose between Dallas’ Jewish and Christian communities beginning at 6 p.m. Monday, April 7, at the Marriott Quorum. “Never Again is Now!” — a night of solidarity and action — will honor actress and activist Patricia Heaton with its Shomer Yisroel (Guardian of the Jewish People) award. Dinner will be catered by Lowell Michelson of Simcha Kosher Catering.

“Decades ago people said ‘Never Again’ but we have to keep educating ourselves and our wider communities. We must work together,” said Robert Liener, co-chair of the event with Jeff Levitt. “Never again is now! We’re honored to bring this special evening to the public, to be together and to share with one another.”

Proceeds of the event will benefit O7C/October 7 Coalition; the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization (with a matching grant up to $100,000 from the HOD International Endowment Fund); DATA-Dallas Area Torah Association; and Gen-Zion, building a Zionist generation of Christians and Jews coming together to support Israel on U.S. college campuses.

On Oct. 8, 2023, Heaton whose longstanding entertainment career includes beloved roles on “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “The Middle,” stood tall, saying, “The Jews shouldn’t fight alone.” With Elizabeth Dorros, she co-founded O7C, the October 7 Coalition. Its purpose is to gather together Christians to visibly and vocally support the Jewish people and Israel’s right to exist and to fight antisemitism.

“I have many Jewish friends in the entertainment industry. I’m old enough to remember when the Holocaust was (known to be) a fact, that it was about the Jews and that ‘Never Again’ were the two words that everybody knew and believed,” said Heaton.

In the fall, she made her first trip to Israel. “It was very short but deeply impactful and it was a place where I felt very much at home,” Heaton said.

O7C (october7coalition.com and @theofficialo7c on Instagram) provides for Christian community members, church leaders and others to build a network of support for the Jewish community and to stand against antisemitism through education and outreach activities.

“It is more important than ever for our communities to join each other in combating this evil that is currently flooding the world. We’re all potential targets for the anti-Judeo-Christian, anti-Western civilization, terror and hate groups that have been flourishing all over the world,” said Heaton. “I feel deeply honored that I can be a very small part of encouraging Christians to be visibly and vocally supportive of the Jewish people and of Israel’s right to exist and to fight antisemitism.”

A June 2024 O7C event in Dallas brought Heaton’s passion to HOD member Lowell Michelson, who then knew a partnership was in order.

“We got a call at Simcha (Catering) with 10 days to put together an event and we did. It was at the Biblical Arts Museum. We turned away as many people as we could host — nearly 250,” he said. “I listened to Patricia speak about her journey and it was like lightning in a bottle.”

Michelson and HOD Dallas President Boris Gremont asked Liener and Levitt to organize the 2025 event, also introducing Gateway Church’s Pastor Ryan Warren, whose ministry provides invaluable support to the Jewish community.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of this evening, to raise funds for these important and worthy organizations and to toast Patricia for her efforts,” said Warren. “She encourages the Jews, she inspires our Christian community and her work is not in vain but rather with long-lasting impact and building trust.”

During the evening, guests will also hear from locally and nationally recognized voices against antisemitism: Kenny Goldberg (chair of the Texas Holocaust, Genocide and Antisemitism Advisory Commission), Shabbos Kestenbaum (Harvard alumnus who sued the university for civil rights violations against Jewish students on campus), Shlomi Nahumson (CEO of The IDF Widows and Orphans Organization), Lizzy Savetsky (influencer and activist) and Erick Stakelbeck (Trinity Broadcast Network personality).

“We’re working on a bill for Texas to adopt, as law, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism and if it passes, it will be so at any and all public institutions,” said Goldberg. “The IHRA definition reads: ‘Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.’ There should be no question about what is and what isn’t.”

Savetsky, a Fort Worth native, is the daughter of Laurie and Marvin Blum and sister of Adam (Brooke) and attended Congregation Ahavath Sholom. She is a graduate of Trinity Valley School, New York University and University of Pennsylvania. Her family moved to Dallas while her husband completed his fellowship in plastic surgery. Her children attended Akiba Yavneh Academy. With hundreds of thousands of online followers, Savetsky promotes Jewish unity and intercultural tolerance and serves as an advisor to the New York City Mayor’s Jewish Advisory Council.

“Bringing my message home is emotional. When I left 18 years ago, I more likely would have thought I’d return to sing country music, not be a voice of my Jewish people,” said Savetsky.

“I was in Israel with my family on Oct. 7,” she added. “In the midst of all the horror, I see the passion in my children’s eyes and in their hearts and they’ll never let that go. None of us will. We need Israel to survive and to be alive. Even my 4-year-old knows it.”

HOD, founded in 1896 to supply immigrants with food, clothing, shelter and job support, in modern days remains focused around the world on community service, personal growth and development.

“HOD is all about community service and supporting the Jewish people. This upcoming evening is one to celebrate amongst our own and our greater community of friends who support us so willingly,” said Gremont. “Antisemitism is an awful virus, one we must put an end to. We must, but we can’t do it alone.”

For more information, to RSVP or to sponsor the April 7 event, visit hoddallas.org/never-again.