The People Shine I first met Yuvi Tashomi when she came to the U.S. to speak at Wise. Her organization, Friends by Nature, seeks to celebrate Ethiopian Jewish culture and introduce it to the broader Israeli community. I took the train from Tel Aviv to visit her center and its community gardens where first generation immigrants cultivate traditional Ethiopian crops and young children attend nature clubs and hear stories from Ethiopian elders. I sat with a group of young adults pursuing college and post-graduate degrees. A few were in their soldier’s uniforms; all expressed a vision of hopefulness for their own futures. They were eager to hear about American Jewish life as well. The conversation was lively and filled with laughter. I left feeling optimistic about their community and its future in Israel. My next train took me north to visit with my friend, Liron. She worked at Wise for one [...]

Jewish Life in Darkened Times I sat with Israeli Reform rabbis at Beit Daniel in Tel Aviv. I thought I was there to listen to them, to comfort them. And indeed, Rabbi Galia Sadan was compelled to describe the profound pain and existential fear felt in the days after October 7th. “You need to understand how we felt. We were scared like never before as we cowered in our homes wondering if the terrorists would knock down our doors. We have never felt as vulnerable, as alone, and as helpless as we did during those early days. “ But then, they wanted to know how we are faring in the U.S. with the rise of anti-Israel rhetoric on our campuses. They were worried about us. We discussed the often-crossed line between legitimate (if unwelcomed and misinformed) protest and opposition to Israel’s policies, reflections of America’s dedication to free speech, [...]

The Hostages and Fallen Soldiers—A Nation’s Determination My dearest friend (American born, current resident and citizen of Israel) and I made the pilgrimage to the makeshift memorial at the Nova Music Festival site. The hot desert wind blew sand in our faces, and the air rattled with the occasional shelling in Gaza. Mini-shrines have been constructed in rows for each of the 364 young victims–there’s a picture on an easel and at the base, small ceramic red anemone flowers. The flowers are a symbol of the spring the victims will never see. We drove away in silence, overwhelmed by our empathy for the sorrow of the families and the lives cut short. We returned to Tel Aviv where I spent most of my time.  It is my favorite place to be in Israel. And, even now, it vibrates with life at all hours. The streets are jammed, restaurants are [...]

I was raised on Israel. My parents held Israel Emergency campaigns in our living room. My first trips overseas with my family were to Israel, traveling on many “Family Missions'' with the United Jewish Appeal. I remember fighting jet lag to stay alert as the guides revealed the secrets of ancient buildings, gushing springs, towering mountains, newly planted forests. I spent ten summers at a Reform movement overnight camp run by a proud Israeli, serving alongside Israeli co-counselors and infusing programing with modern Israeli experiences. Our sports coaches came from Israel’s premier Wingate Institute for Sports Excellence. Even Tisha B’Av became a day for remembering modern Israel’s traumas as much as the traditional lamentations. As parents, my wife (whose Israel experiences paralleled mine and has devoted a 35 year career to Israel and the Jewish community) and I sought to convey the same Israel diet to our children. Our [...]