‘We are the biggest family’: Rabbi Doron Perez draws on personal loss to call for Jewish unity

Rabbi Doron Perez, president of the World Zionist Organization and chairman of the World Mizrachi movement, spoke with the Magazine about his new book 'Smallest Nation, Largest Family,' which argues that the Jewish people are fundamentally a family. The book draws on his personal loss: his son Daniel fell on October 7, 2023, and his body was held hostage for two years before being returned on October 13, 2025. Perez's phrase 'we may be the smallest nation, but we are the biggest family' was quoted by President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Rabbi Doron Perez, president of the World Zionist Organization and chairman of the World Mizrachi movement, spoke with the Magazine about his new book, 'Smallest Nation, Largest Family.' The book argues that the Jewish people are fundamentally a family, a bond that is the foundation of Jewish peoplehood. Perez's personal loss—his son Daniel, a tank commander, fell on October 7, 2023, defending Kibbutz Nahal Oz, and his body was held hostage by Hamas for two years before being returned on October 13, 2025—shaped the book's message. Perez's phrase 'we may be the smallest nation, but we are the biggest family' was quoted by President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The article explores Perez's reflections on Jewish solidarity, citing historical examples like the Mendel Beilis case and the return of 100,000 Israelis from abroad to fight in the war. The framing relies on emotionally charged vocabulary without procedural sourcing.