Mark Wilf, chair of our national Jewish Federations of North America, recently returned from leading a JFNA Solidarity Mission to Israel, following the cease fire that finally brought an end to weeks of terror. The group included others from our national leadership, Federation presidents, board chairs, and other key leaders.
“Following those difficult two weeks, on top of the fifteen months when we were unable to visit Israel due to quarantine restrictions,” Wilf said, “I was so proud to be leading a group of 22 leaders from the Federation system on this special solidarity mission in order to assess the situation on the ground and show our unwavering support for Israel and its people.”
It was a whirlwind of a trip – they spent just two days on the ground – but was filled with important meetings and conversations. They visited an Iron Dome missile defense unit, met with a woman whose house had been destroyed in a rocket attack in Ashkelon, visited a Jewish Agency Absorption Center for Ethiopian Olim, and a Trauma Coalition Resilience Center, and toured a mixed Jewish-Arab neighborhood in Lod where they heard from both Jewish and Arab peace activists.
“We were able to see and feel first-hand the trauma that Israelis have experienced. As we approached Sigal’s home, in a beautiful, quiet neighborhood, there was no indication that we would walk into a completely uninhabitable house. It’s a miracle that no one was injured in the attack, but she and her family, as well as others like them, are obviously still reeling from the weeks of violence. She was appreciative of our concern and our financial and emotional support as, like all Israelis, she works to get back on her feet and rebuild her life.”
Of course, there were high-level meetings with senior government officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, Naftali Bennett, Isaac Herzog, and Benny Gantz. “The officials were eager to hear from us what’s happening in the U.S.,” Wilf continued, “and to get our perspectives on how we can work together to redirect the global conversation about Israel. How we can bring the conversation back to facts and away from incendiary rhetoric that leads to antisemitism.”
This was one of the first official missions to Israel since the country went into lockdown at the beginning of Covid last March. The country is among the world’s leaders in vaccinations and, according to Wilf, “the restaurants and streets were bustling.”
“We all felt that familiar energy and spirit you get from visiting Israel, but there were raw emotions and trauma mixed in with that. The violence has definitely had an impact, especially on young people. The effects of 4,000 rockets being fired deep into the country, and particularly the rioting and strife within the country, were all a forceful shock to the system for Israelis.
“The civil society piece of this puzzle is very complicated. Israelis recognize that it’s going to be a long-term process to figure out how to make their society stronger. I believe they also recognize that Diaspora Jews and Israelis need to work together, and fully understand and support one another, in order to bring about positive change. That’s why missions like these are so important,” he continued. “That’s why I’m thrilled that our Federation is about to embark on a Greater MetroWest Solidarity Mission with clergy and community leaders this weekend. It’s the best way for us to show them that we’re all in this together.”
It’s critically important, Wilf stressed, that as soon as conditions allow, American Jews get back to Israel. "We’re all part of the nation of Israel — Am Yisrael. It’s imperative — especially now — that Israel doesn’t feel isolated. And it energizes us as mission participants to feel that energy and bring it back home with us. Communities are planning trips. Young people are traveling to Israel this summer. On all fronts it’s exciting and something I whole-heartedly encourage.”
“I hope to get back to Israel myself soon... and I’m looking forward to travelling there with many of you on our Centennial Mission in 2023.”