Day(s) 1:

Grateful to be participating in our Cantors Assembly Solidarity Mission representing our officer core and the Jacksonville Jewish Center.

Following a long travel day(s) that began before 5AM Sunday, I boarded an El Al flight to Israel (my first ever flight on El Al). I will say that there is something powerful about having an entire plane of people eating kosher plane food.

The loudness of our flight was met with a deafening silence of Ben Gurion Airport- empty gates, empty customs, but one thing remains- the reminders of war-time Israel: the photos of those still kept hostage in Gaza (a number of those now famous photos have been removed now that 50+ hostages have been returned), signs for shelters…

As we met our guide Carmit, rain began to fall during our drive and for the remainder of the day. As a people who normally pray for rain, she reminded us of the new reality of rain- soldiers, hostages in conditions where rain is not a friend. Just another layer that speaks to this duality of the life Israelis and many Jews are experiencing (this will become more evident as we meet with families of hostages- rejoicing in return while dreading what is to happen to those who remain).

Our first day consists of really two parts – a visit to Hadassah rehab unit on Mt Scopus (always love to our Jacksonville Hadassah ladies!!) and a dinner conversation with Gil Hoffman, former chief political correspondent for the Jerusalem Post and executive director and executive editor of the pro-Israel media watchdog HonestReporting.

For security reasons I can’t share photos of a number of soldiers and police officers that we met with who are rehabbing major injuries. Most of the injuries happened from battling Hamas terrorists on October 7. We sang songs of healing, Israeli standards to cheer up the staff and residents. I will share more of these stories in the coming weeks, but I did want to share a portion of one story. As our group was finishing a set of songs, a gentleman came up to us asking for us to meet his brother. His brother Eden was shot point blank in the chest just 10 days earlier, as three armed terrorists opened fire when Eden saw something suspicious. Today was the first day he had walked on his own since the incident. Eden shared many details of that morning- of losing his friend who succumbed to his wounds. He shared how he put on tefillin that morning, right before he put on his protective gear that saved his life (and I might add, the sheer force of the bullet ripped the tzitzis underneath). This soldier’s brother knew how therapeutic it would be to tell his story, just as others tell their stories. Even though Eden kept saying “Sababa,” you could feel how he had yet to process all that had happened. More on that story another time…

Gil Hoffman, just as he has done twice already at our synagogue, gave a straightforward analysis on the situation we are in, the situation we came from, and possible situations we may be headed towards. His new position at HonestReporting is vital to calling out issues of journalistic integrity- getting your news from Hamas isn’t a reputable source, people. As we were leaving, a group member asked what we could bring back with us. Gil responded, “Mandatory Israel Education, pre-bnei Mitzvah.” An ability to chant a haftarah is great, but if we don’t instill a sense of peoplehood or an understanding of the State of Israel (beyond a religious symbol) then we are in deep trouble. This battle will be fought in the military, on college campuses, and in social media, and it really all begins and ends with honest reporting.

That’s it for Day(s) 1. Tomorrow will be a very heavy day as we head south to do more witnessing and volunteering.

Finally, a plug: if you are in Jerusalem on Wednesday night, join us as I join my cantorial colleagues and Hila ben David for a beautiful concert at the Old Train Station!