Let’s start with the numbers: 4 days in Israel. 350 New Yorkers on 12 buses. Celebrating Israel at 69 and UJA-Federation at 100. Consuming 90 pounds of hummus (at least). Hearing from 1 president (of Israel) and 1 mayor (of Jerusalem).
And, one couple even got engaged!
All on UJA-Federation’s incomparable William Rosenwald Centennial Mission to Israel.
We began the mission on Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) with sirens going off across the country honoring Israel’s fallen, as we looked out over the ancient walls of Jerusalem.
We had the privilege of hearing from Rachaeli Fraenkel, mother of Naftali, one of the three teens whose brutal murder precipitated the 2014 war with Hamas. With extraordinary eloquence, she touched our souls, speaking not of her loss, but of the need for us to do all we can to recapture the unity we felt in the wake of her son’s murder.
A day later came the transition to Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, with solemnity now giving way to exuberant public parties and celebrations. Israel purposefully marks these national holidays side by side, so as never to forget the enormous sacrifices made for its independence. We were joined for dinner that evening by 40 inspiring young Americans serving in the Israel Defense Forces as “Lone Soldiers” — each receiving support from our partner, the Jewish Agency for Israel. After dinner, many of us danced into the night with Israelis on the streets of Jerusalem.
Other unforgettable highlights include:
— Sitting on a rooftop overlooking the Kotel (Western Wall) and listening to Zion Karasanti, one of the soldiers who recaptured Jerusalem in 1967, and whose face is immortalized in the iconic David Rubinger photograph capturing the moment.
— Listening to the magnificent music of Sulamot, an orchestra comprised of people with disabilities, a project of our partner, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
— Joining Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat for a cornerstone dedication of the Kirsh Family Jerusalem Arts Campus, UJA’s centennial capital initiative in Israel. This new campus will create a Juilliard-like facility in the heart of the city and serve as a major cultural hub, helping motivate young, professional Israelis to choose to live and raise their families in Jerusalem.
Having invested billions of dollars in Israel, since even before the formal declaration of statehood in 1948, UJA’s impact can be felt in every corner of the land. And our work has benefited countless lives, as we heard firsthand — from the girl, blind and disabled, who today speaks multiple languages and is a singing sensation, to the Ethiopian-Israeli who became a CEO, to the Haredi tech entrepreneur, to an Arab-Israeli community-organizer working to advance a shared society.
But it’s also critically important to remember that it’s never been a one-way street. The establishment of the modern State of Israel — and its extraordinary achievements — has forever changed the face of diaspora Jewry. Our shared sense of pride in a strong, sovereign Jewish homeland after two millennia of exile has strengthened us incalculably as a people.
We felt that pride every moment of this once-in-a-lifetime trip. And we share it with all of you, too. Because whether you’re reading this email in Jerusalem or New York, the story of Israel belongs to all of us.
Shabbat shalom