South Bay Solidarity Mission to Israel

By Josh Berkenwald, Rabbi of Congregation Sinai in San Jose, CA Our last stop for today, Tuesday, February 20, was at   Kikar HaChatufim , Hostages Square, in front of the Tel Aviv Art Museum.     What a powerful and heavy place it is. Filled with signs, posters, artwork, personal messages, and protesters.   The long, empty Shabbat table is still arranged for the hostages who are still missing. A digital billboard counts the seconds since they were taken on October 7. One art installation,  The Tunnel , by Roni Levevi, “simulates the terrible reality into which our hostages have been thrown, while a light at the end of the tunnel is a beacon of hope.” It is covered, inside and out, with messages demanding their return and prayers for their protection. A group of women from the organization  Women Wage Peace  stand with signs. They gather every day from 5 – 6:30 pm to demand the return of the hostages at any cost. As we arrived, one older woman carried on an emotional conversation with

By Diane Fisher Past Director, JCRC and Ritual Committee Chair, Shir Hadash Picture a beautiful sunset and the promenade on the beach in Tel Aviv, with a group of 19 travelers singing Eli, Eli and shecheheyanu. This is how we began a week of mitzvot and connection, of listening and engaging our Israeli mishpachah. The beauty and the pain, the love and the challenges will draw us closer to each other and provide us with stories we want to share back home.  There will be many different stories, but we were grounded in the possibility of hope by beginning our visit with Noa (Achinoam Nini), the international singing phenomenon and passionate peace activist. Just WOW. I have been a huge fan so just a bit awestruck.   As with every visit we are embraced with gratitude for coming at this time for solidarity rather than tourism– this heartfelt appreciation cannot be over emphasized. These are not sentimental people by nature. But they feel our solidarity deeply. Noa comes from a Yemeni family

On February 19, eighteen members of the South Bay Jewish community arrived in Israel for a mission of solidarity. Rabbis and professionals, past and current lay leaders from synagogues, schools, Unexeptable, and Jewish Silicon Valley joined together to bear witness, visit the sick and comfort the mourners. This blog will feature posts from participants to document and share what we have witnessed and experienced.