Englewood—Jews throughout the world recited Kinos on Tisha B’Av for Jerusalem and the Second Temple, which were destroyed, we are told by our sages, due to sinas chinom, baseless hatred. Today, while Israel is engaged in a war of weapons and words with enemies who want to destroy it, there is also tremendous achdus, unity, bringing the country together to fight its battles. “Israel is more unified now than I’ve ever seen it,” said Rabbi Shmuel Goldin of Englewood’s Congregation Ahavath Torah, after returning from the six-day mission to Israel he organized. Close to 90 people went to meet soldiers, grieving parents, and families trying to live life amidst sirens and shelters.
Several participants on the mission wrote about their impressions and all commented on how united everyone was in shared support for the defense of their country. Michael Blumenthal summed it up this way in one of several emails group members sent about the trip: “This country is together on every level. The word achdus cannot be overused. There are disagreements and there probably always will be. But that’s ok; at a time like this, everyone is basically on the same page. Everyone seems to understand there is no today without yesterday, and there will be no tomorrow without today.”
The goal of the mission, arranged by Emunah in just three days, was to give chizuk (strength) to a wide swath of Israelis, and remind them that Jews worldwide support them in their plight.
“When we initially announced the mission, we expected a small group,” said Rabbi Goldin. “Instead, in the short time before we left, we filled up two busses of participants, from all walks of life, from Bergen County, from New York City, from Long Island; all together to bring our love and support to Israel.”
Several prominent rabbinic figures joined the trip including Rabbi Akiva Block of the Kesher Synagogue of Tenafly; Rabbi Ari Zahtz of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun of Teaneck, and Rabbi Daniel Feldman of Congregation Ohr Saadya of Teaneck.
Rabbi Goldin said that he was initially concerned they wouldn’t be welcome, but that notion dissolved from the moment they got on the plane. “The stewardess came up to me and said ‘I have to meet the rabbi that organized this trip. Thank you so much for coming; it means so much to us.” Rabbi Block wrote in his reflections, “Would they think all this was a cheap stunt, just another stop in a packed itinerary of fun trips and activities, something that made us feel good but did little for those who actually needed support? It wasn’t until I saw that empty parking lot at the airport that I realized how valuable our presence in Israel, even if we made no visits at all, really was.”
One goal of the mission was to deliver supplies to the soldiers and Rabbi Goldin said they made a deliberate decision to limit what they brought from the US so they could purchase items from merchants in Israel. The Israeli economy is suffering from a sharp decrease in tourism; international regulations limit passenger flights flying to Israel, and many have canceled their planned vacations.
For the members of Ahavath Torah, one of the trip highlights was visiting soldiers from their community: David Moed and James Goldberg. “It was especially personal to connect to our three Lone Soldiers, to remind them that our thoughts and prayers are with them,” Rabbi Goldin said.
The boys were at a “holding area” where soldiers take some time off to recharge themselves. Esther Lerer of Englewood wrote they were able to visit with Jonathan after much waiting and finally persuading the people in charge. “Jonathan expressed admiration and love for his fellow soldiers and tremendous gratitude to the Ahavath Torah community for supplying his unit with much needed funds to purchase specific equipment that he would directly benefit from. These items included scopes for their rifles, heavy-duty knee pads, and lights for their helmets among other items.”
Barry Badner spoke to JLBC after returning from Israel and said being on the front lines with soldiers was an incredible experience. “They had such a positive outlook. I wouldn’t think they wanted us but they did; they thanked us for coming and were happy to see us. Visiting gave them strength and confidence.”
Scott Herschman of Englewood also commented on how happy the soldiers at an IDF base were to see them and what a great attitude they had. “They thanked us with hugs and called to us Am Yisrael Chai (The Jewish People are Alive), and danced and sang with us Lo Lefached (Do not Fear), as they left the base and went back into Gaza.”
The achdus in the army was apparent from all the different types of Jews serving. Moshe Muschel noticed that “Many chayalim were wearing tzizit. I also met boys with payot and kippot along with many who wore none…The whole thing was beyond moving.”
Part of the group’s mission was to comfort the wounded and families of those who were killed. Rabbi Block wrote about visiting soldiers recovering at Tel Hashomer Hospital and Rehab Center in Ramat Gan. “We visited with Elnatan, and Mordechai, and Asher, and so many others, each genuinely, and surprisingly happy we came.”
At shiva homes of the families of fallen soldiers, the group met bereaved parents, who displayed unimaginable strength and resilience. Rabbi Block wrote about the parents of soldier Daniel Pomeranz, who had been killed in battle a few days before. “They were sad, but not angry” he wrote, “and spoke of their son as someone who loved defending his nation, and believed very much in what he was doing.”
Herschman wrote about meeting a mother who had the difficult job of informing parents when their child was killed in action. And then it was her turn, as she had long feared. She shared a letter from her son who wrote, “If you received this letter that means I didn’t make it. But please take comfort in knowing that you provided me with everything in life and gave me the best upbringing possible and if I don’t survive, I always took great pride in serving the IDF and all of Am Yisrael.”
The group visited Sderot, a town on the Gaza border that has repeatedly come under rocket fire from Gaza. Badner said that from news reports, it had sounded like the residents were living their lives in shelters but that wasn’t true; they are trying to live their lives as best they can. The group visited an indoor play area, funded by The Jewish National Fund, and the kids were having a great time. But even here, the realities of the situation intrude.
Rabbi Block noted, “The entire room had to be constructed in a way which would allow the children playing to run to a shelter in a span of 15 seconds. So, for example, the rock climbing wall had to be shorter than usual, because otherwise they would need a harness and a child in a harness can’t get to the shelter in time.”
On the trip’s second day, after a long afternoon in Ashkelon, Sderot, and, eventually, an army base, the group returned to Jerusalem in time for an unanticipated event—the shloshim (30-day) commemoration of the brutal murders of Gil’ad Shaar, Naftali Frankel, and Eyal Yifrach. They arrived too late to enter the already full Great Synagogue of Jerusalem, where the ceremony was taking place, but watching it from outside with the overflow crowd of hundreds of Israelis drove home the power of the unity of the Jewish people.
Rabbi Goldin hopes that this is the first of many solidarity missions from the New York area during this difficult time. “I urge anyone with the time, the means and the wherewithal to go and support the Jews of Israel. It would mean the world to those there, and can the change the world for you as well.”
He reflected on the turn of events that led to the current situation. “It is amazing Divine Providence that led from the kidnapping of the boys to discovering the tunnels and Israel facing the mortal threat it didn’t realize was there. Everyone in Israel kept thanking us for coming. But we have to thank them. Israel is fighting their war and the world’s war. They are on the front lines against Islamic fundamentalism.”
Now the question for Israel, is will the unity last? “Baseless hatred is not a fairy tale,” Rabbi Goldin said. “Even in the shadow of Rome Jews were fighting each other. The unity we have now is heartening. It began with the example set by the mothers of the boys who were kidnapped, and their message to the world. Israel is good at unity when times are difficult. Let’s hope and pray that it will last. Only if we’re united, will we be successful.”
By Tzvi Silver and Bracha Schwartz
