Blog
Marking 700 Days
September 5, 2025
Dear Friends, Today marks the unthinkable 700th day since October 7, 2023; 700 unimaginable days of captivity for the remaining hostages being held by Hamas. I marked this terrible, painful milestone […]
A Fond Farewell: Celebrating the Service of Our 2024-2025 ShinShinim
June 6, 2025
On June 5, 2025, host families, site supervisors, and friends gathered to say farewell to our 2024-2025 ShinShinim during an evening of food, laughter, and reminiscing. As the night went […]
Processing a Week of Grief
February 22, 2025
Dear friends, After 503 days, the news we dreaded – the news we knew on some level was coming – finally arrived. And all our hearts, which have been broken […]
Hostage Release Deal Reached in Israel
January 15, 2025
Dear friends, Today’s news of the ceasefire and hostage release deal in Isarel is both a welcome relief, and a sign of much more work to come. We are especially […]
Iranian attack on Israel: Message from Heidi Gantwerk & David Bark
April 14, 2024
Friends, A few days ago, Heidi wrote to you from Sha’ar HaNegev following our second Solidarity Mission as Israeli artillery in Gaza boomed in the background. We spent four intense […]
100 Days.
January 12, 2024
This Sunday marks 100 days. One hundred days since the “Black Sabbath;” since more than 200 Israelis and foreign nationals were taken into Gaza as hostages. One hundred days of […]
Thoughts of Resilience and Light this Shabbat
December 9, 2023
Dear friends, It has been almost a week since I returned from our Federation Solidarity Mission to Israel, and as I lit the candles with friends and family from San […]
Marking One Month
November 11, 2023
Dear Friends, This past week, marking the one-month mark since the October 7 Hamas attack, has brought equal parts inspiration and joy and grief and anger. I want to start […]
Yesterday, I went to Washington D.C.
October 18, 2023
Yesterday, I, along with Federation Board Chair David Bark, flew to Washington D.C. to gather with more than 200 Federation and partner agency leaders, philanthropists, and many national officials – […]
From San Diego to Sha'ar HaNegev, it's about the people
May 18, 2022
Dear Friends, Building strong, personal connections to Israel has been part of Federation’s DNA since our founding 85 years ago. Sometimes, we focus on bringing San Diego to Israel, such […]
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