Chaverim y'karim - dear friends,
I've spent a lot of time in Israel this past year.
Even before October 7th, Amy and I were planning to be in Israel for her sabbatical in March. Her goal: beach time and ulpan (intensive Hebrew study).
Given the realities of Israel, our plans in the country shifted from ulpan to volunteering and from beach time to visiting family and even leading a solidarity mission.
My attraction to being in Israel began at a young age as my older siblings took a summer trip after Confirmation at temple in the 10th Grade.
My desire to be there has grown deeper and more intense and more meaningful over the years. Twice in my life, I have lived there for a year. I have learned that there is not any one Israel but rather there are multiple Israels. Some of the narratives I learned as a younger person have been debunked, reformatted, and newly understood and appreciated - based on historical, social, and political realities. All of that was long before October 7.
Traveling to Israel currently is just different than it was before October 7. Traveling to Israel has to do with bearing witness, standing in solidarity and recognizing our brothers and sisters resilience and struggle. Traveling to Israel today is about the usual enjoyments of walking the streets of a Jewish-majority country in our ancestral land but for us as Diaspora Jews also about understanding the complexity of Israeli society and listening to the many perspectives and voices.
It is with all of that backdrop that I am very excited to share that I - along with my wife, Rabbi Amy Wallk - are offering a solidarity mission for a six-day journey (December 3-10) in Israel with Haim Aronovitz who is a master tour educator and someone Amy has led over a dozen trips with in Europe and Israel.
The following are just some of the questions guiding the nature of our upcoming trip:
- How has October 7 impacted the country?
- Where is there evidence of resilience and renewal?
- How is the mourning and weight of the attack affecting Israeli society?
- Who are the Haredi (ultra Orthodox Jews) and why does the vast majority object to serving in the military? Why is this issue particularly important now?
- What of the Israeli Arabs? How did this community - and its variants - respond to October 7?
- What and where are the places where Israel is thriving and where not?
While we have no idea what will be in December, we know that there will be what to study and discuss. Click through to see the planned itinerary and pricing. As I always say before leading a trip to Israel: we will only know the definitive itinerary - let alone the most meaningful aspects - once we have returned. And the most impactful part of any trip are the people with whom we interact while on the ground. Some of those people will be on our itinerary and some will be chance encounters.
For those who are interested in visiting some of those places which were attacked on October 7, we invite you to extend your trip for a couple of days. We will happily suggest an expanded the itinerary.
If you have questions about this trip, please email me (rabbicohn@tsholom.org) …. We will have an informational Zoom meeting on Thursday, July 25 at 7:30pm.
Whether you are curious, ready to commit, or on the fence - please join an informational meeting, via Zoom, on Thursday, July 25th with Amy and me. So too, if you want to speak by phone or email and have questions, do be in touch. It is hard to believe, but December 3rd is only five months away!
Not every time and not every trip is the right time or trip to go to Israel for everyone. But most times and most trips offer important and significant opportunities to be in the land of our people.
"Am Yisrael Chai - our people lives!" is a slogan we not only hold for moments of solidarity but it is one by which we live - through continued engagement and connection from our homes in Massachusetts, Connecticut or wherever!
Looking forward to discussing further - l'shalom,
Rabbi Mark Cohn
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Opportunities in the larger community -
Let Freedom Ring - 6 July 2024 (5-8pm / 5:30pm 'Ring the Bell') on the New Milford Green at the Bandstand. Learn more here.
Civil Rights Trip to the South with Anshe Amunim of Pittsfield, MA - "Civil Rights Inside Out" 21-23 October 2024. Learn more here.
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