Solidarity trip to Israel

I found myself surprisingly energized after I returned from my trip to Israel. While I found the mood was somber, there was also a strong feeling of determination, faith, and unity among the embattled Jews in Israel. There is, of course, much pain on so many levels from the horrific attacks on Simchat Torah/ October 7. The crisis is bringing different Jews together as never before. The war is also triggering a reawakening among many Israelis in our shared heritage as Jews and are reconnecting to their roots in a variety of meaningful ways. Here are a few highlights from my trip: Visit with Evacuees: I traveled to visit the evacuees of Shokeda (a town in the Gaza border region) in Neve Ilan, outside of Jerusalem. It was a privilege to meet such wonderful people doing their best to keep it together in difficult times. Many people from our community in Jacksonville contributed to many basic supplies that we brought to the evacuees from Shokeda. As the children from Shokeda last went to school several weeks ago, a temporary school has been set up on the campus of Yad Vashem. We also brought some volumes of Talmud for the students as they are doing their best not to interrupt their studies. Visit to IDF Base: I traveled to an IDF near the Lebanon border. The army is on high alert there as there have been near-daily crossfire exchanges with Hezbollah. We visited Kibbutz Yiftah, which has been evacuated of its civilian presence and is now a closed military zone. (My group was allowed in as we had packages to deliver to soldiers.) I brought supplies and gifts from the Jacksonville community. The soldiers were especially touched with the cards written to them by the pre-schoolers from Torah Academy. I had a meaningful conversation (recorded on our social media channels) with one of the IDF reservists, Rabbi Elchanan Lewis. His day job is as a Rabbinic Advisor for Machon Puah (an organization that supports couples struggling with infertility) and a congregational rabbi in Efrat. He elaborated on the high morale, sense of duty, and reawakening of the Jewish spirit in much of Israel. Yarchei Kallah at Mir Yeshiva: I spent a few days studying at my alma mater, Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem. I have been privileged to attend a special learning program called the Yarchei Kallah for the last several years. There were over 200 participants who traveled from North America to participate in the Yarchei Kallah. I found that remarkable, considering the country has plunged into war. This year's learning was especially meaningful as we all sensed the critical moments and how Torah Study assists our spiritual battle in what is an essential element of this war. Overall, being in the Land of Israel at this junction point in history was an amazing privilege. Many people expressed their gratitude to me as a representative from our community for coming for this solidarity visit. As I left Israel, I reflected on the close connections the Jewish People have with each other from Jacksonville to Jerusalem. Amy Israel Chai, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch