A CommUNITY Trip of a lifetime!!

Dear Friends,

Throughout the years, I have been privileged to immerse in the land, people, and culture that is Israel. I have lived there for periods of time and have led countless trips there (always a highlight for me).

This past month, I had the opportunity to join over 50 from our Beth Israel family as part of the 220 participants from San Diego on the Federation’s CommUNITY Trip to Israel. We made Israel our home for over a week as we celebrated the modern Jewish state’s 75th birthday.

The early days of our journey were a whirlwind of powerful moments: soulful expressions of prayer; a moving ceremony in the Valley of the Communities at Yad Vashem; phenomenal culinary delights; biking the roads and narrow pathways of Jerusalem; joining thousands in peaceful protest for democracy; taking a deep dive into shared spaces doing critical work to foster bridges of understanding; uniting with my San Diego Rabbinic colleagues to lead our entire group in Kabbalat Shabbat and Havdalah. The snapshots and memories are bountiful and priceless!

One of the more powerful moments of our trip was the nearly perfect day celebrating 25 years of partnership with our friends in Sha’ar HaNegev, our sister region that sits alongside the Gaza border. Many children and adults from the region welcomed us with greater fanfare as we exited our private train. While there, we toured the border with Gaza, broke bread with host families living in border kibbutzim, and dedicated the Community Center that our San Diego community helped to build (the basketball court beautifully dedicated in Michael Jeser z‘l’s memory). To top it off, we danced the night away at a Lag B’Omer celebration.

Only a few hours later, as we settled into our hotel rooms in Tel Aviv, reflecting on the incredible day just had, Operation Shield and Arrow began. The people who had just planned our celebration shifted gears, many working through the night to safeguard the residents of Sha’ar HaNegev and evacuate and temporarily relocate nearly 2,500 residents throughout the country.

Many of us fell even more in love with Sha’ar HaNegev, which made our concern all-the-more heartbreaking. In the region, as schools canceled, roads closed, trains suspended, and residents evacuated, the situation there was a vivid reminder of the complexity of the lives of those in Sha’ar HaNegev. We know that being there with them helped to lift their spirits and give them strength.

Our experience was underscored by what many in the Sha’ar HaNegev leadership shared with us: life in Shaar Hanegev is 95% beauty and 5% terror. All of us now understand anew the multilayered reality of life in the region.

I am forever grateful to our amazing congregant, Heidi Gantwerk, President and CEO of Federation, and to her stellar team and trip co-chairs (including our own Tamar Caspi), for affording us another lens through which to see and experience Israel. I am also grateful to our Sababa Bus participants for making the experience so much fun and joyous!

I couldn’t be prouder that Beth Israel, through our various trip offerings, has sent more than 150 people to Israel this past year…and, we have more opportunities in store!

If you are interested in learning about the next opportunity? Embark on a life-changing inter-generational congregational trip to Israel with your whole family next summer, led by myself and Rabbi Gimbel, June 16-26, 2024.

Our Family Trip will take us to some of the most fascinating and historic locations in Israel. We will provide insights and teachings that will deepen your understanding and appreciation of Israel's complex history and vibrant culture. We'll also have plenty of time for reflection and personal growth, as well as opportunities to form lifelong bonds with fellow travelers.

Want more information? Please contact: Ilene Tatro at itatro@cbisd.org.

I couldn’t be prouder that Beth Israel, through our various trip offerings, has

By Dan Jones