I’m trying to process the unfathomable horrors we heard about today. This time was different though, seeing some of it with our own eyes. Nothing could prepare me for this day. But along the way,...
Federation's Solidarity Missions to Israel
Read reflections from local community members on their experiences participating in Federation's Solidarity Missions to Israel: March-April 2024 and November 2023.
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Today was a very emotional day, one I knew from the moment I saw the itinerary would be hard. We were meeting with Lishay Miran, wife of Omri Miran who is still, 180 days later, held in captivity i...
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I approached Hostage Square in Tel Aviv slowly. After months of seeing it in pictures, on Tuesday it was my turn to stand in front of the board counting 178 days, 07 hours, 45 minutes, and 37 secon...
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Those of you who know me well know that I have a complicated relationship with the notion of God. One might say that my identity as a Jew is rooted more in Jewish peoplehood than religion. Today, I...
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Today was another full day of listening and learning, as well as sharing many emotional moments with our Sha’ar HaNegev family.
The more time we spend together, the more we realize how much we...
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I just completed my first day of a Jewish Federation-sponsored Solidarity Mission to Israel and I am thoroughly exhausted. My body is telling me to go to sleep, but I know that if I don’t write s...
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April 1, 2024: Carole Yellen
My first trip to Israel was in May 2023 on Jewish Federation of San Diego’s CommUNITY Trip. I had previously declined opportunities to travel to Israel out of fear. ...
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We all went into this day with some trepidation, but just didn’t know what to expect. Jack Maizel, Federation past Board Chair, summed it up well as we were reflecting after dinner. He admitted t...
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When I arrived in Israel, I had a few hours to wait before leaving for Jerusalem, so I met with my cousins for coffee, and Galia began telling me stories of what the first few weeks of the war in I...
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Participants of Federation’s Solidarity Mission to Israel remain committed to sharing their experiences far and wide. The latest story from the San Diego Union-Tribune highlights the particularly...
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Written by Alan Viterbi on November 30, 2023
Thank you for having joined me on this journey. This is the final installment of my travel notes, covering our last day in Israel. While I will be...
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Written by Rabbi Jason Nevarez on November 30, 2023
Our last day on this solidarity mission was both emotional and inspirational. We head back to San Diego and will begin to sharing our stories ...
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Written by Rabbi Yael Ridberg on November 30, 2023
Rebbe Nahman of Bratslav taught: Every person must cross a very, very narrow bridge. The most important thing is not to succumb to fear. On this ...
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Written by Alan Viterbi on November 29, 2023
Today we visited the “temporary” homes for the survivors of Kfar Azza and Nachal Oz, a unique therapy facility staffed by hundreds of volunteer ps...
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Written by Rabbi Yael Ridberg on November 29, 2023
In 2002, Elie Wiesel z”l said at the Legacy of Holocaust Survivors conference at Yad Vashem, “Whoever listens to a witness, becomes a witness...
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Written by Debbie Kornberg on November 29, 2023
Our morning started at Shefayim, the temporary home for the residents of Kibbutz Kfar Aza. We heard testimonies from three different people who shar...
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Written by Rabbi Jason Nevarez on November 29, 2023
Today, we encountered our hardest day yet - meeting with members and survivors of Kibbutzim Kfar Aza and Nachal Oz. We had the privilege of be...
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Written by Heidi Gantwerk on November 29, 2023
Today was very, very hard. Bearing witness was a fundamental reason for our Jewish Federation of San Diego Solidarity Mission, and today we did that....
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Written by Heidi Gantwerk on November 28, 2023
Thinking a lot today about the connection between opening yourself up to love and accepting the possibility of the pain you feel when those you lo...
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Written by Rabbi Yael Ridberg on November 28, 2023
The Book of Proverbs offers the observation: ner adonai nishmat adam - the lamp of God is the soul of humanity (20:27). Today was spent understa...
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Written by Mitch Siegler on November 28, 2023
My Tuesday summary:
San Diego Solidarity Mission to Israel: Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023
Tuesday was an action-packed day with a wide variety of experie...
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Written by Alan Viterbi on November 28, 2023
Another day of mixed emotions. All in Jerusalem.
First, two quick items I omitted from yesterday. Both have San Diego connections and both are el...
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Written by Rabbi Jason Nevarez on November 28, 2023
Yesterday was a tough day - to see the destruction and devastation, first-hand, has felt surreal and painful and numbing. Today, however, felt...
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Written by Rabbi Devorah Marcus on November 28, 2023
Last night we spent time with some of the residents from kibbutz Erez. They shared with us the harrowing story of realizing the security breac...
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Written by Rabbi David Kornberg on November 28, 2023
The unwritten theme of today’s meetings and conversations has been how do Israelis keep their souls in the face of such immense darkness. Th...
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Written by Mitch Siegler on November 27, 2023
My summary:
Today we visited Kibbutz Kfar Aza in Sha’ar HaNegev region (our sister city), just 1 mile from the Gaza border - lost 52 people out o...
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Written by Rabbi Yael Ridberg on November 27, 2023
The prophet Isaiah offered the Divine commandment to the Jewish people to be witnesses and in doing so, God can be God (43:12).
Today was our da...
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Written by Ingram Losner on November 27, 2023
We’ve all seen on TV and in media reports the barbarity, the devastation, the unimaginable, sadistic brutality inflicted upon the innocents of Sha...
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Written by Alan Viterbi on November 27, 2023
Hard to know where to begin. Today, we covered much of the south of Israel and traveled a wide range of emotions.
We boarded the bus in Jerusale...
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Written by Rabbi Jason Nevarez on November 27, 2023
We began our time together sharing by dinner with leaders/members of the Sha’ar HaNegev community. It was truly wonderful to hug our friends a...
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Written by Rabbi Devorah Marcus on November 27, 2023
Our journey began as every trip to Israel does with an opening welcome meal. Usually these are festive and set the tone for the trip ahead. Thi...
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Written by Alan Viterbi on November 25, 2023
Today I am joining a San Diego Jewish Community solidarity mission to Israel. (We are fortunate in that, since our trip was pulled together in the pas...