I just returned from a Mission to Israel from our local Jewish Federation.
This is my 7th Federation Mission. People ask me why I go on Federation Missions to Israel – after all, haven’t I been to Israel enough times?
A Federation Mission is way more than a regular vacation – it is an intense experience that combines travel with insights into Jewish scholarship & history from renown speakers who set the stage; diverse political opinion to help us understand the dilemmas facing the country, unique insider security briefings as well as meaningful personal stories to give us insight into the needs, aspirations and successes that come as a result of the dollars donated through the Federation campaign system.
Our travelers were a wide range of community members ranging from the “just Jewish”, first time visitors, Federation board & committee members, heads of the various community Jewish Day schools, and Rabbis ranging from reformed to orthodox to Chabad.
Wow moments (not in any specific order)
- Meeting soldiers from the Golani brigade near the border with Gaza
- The young lady who ran the cafe in Sderot, who explained that her mom wouldn’t come to visit her – that the only people who came to visit the community were from Federation.
- The briefing with the undercover soldiers from Jerusalem border control whose job it was to stop terrorists in enemy territory
- Sunset on Shabbat at the Kotel, on the AishHaTorah patio
- Dancing with our friends from Kiryat Bialek at the Crusader Fortress on Kibbutz Yehiam
- Touring the Israeli Navy missile boat and meeting young naval recruits
We shared laughter and tears and created memories to last a lifetime.
