Dear Friends,
As most of you know, I spent the last week of January in Israel with twenty members of our community. Over the course of my rabbinate, I’ve had the privilege of leading many Israel missions, including two teen-only trips. This one, however, was different.
In the past, my goal was largely to introduce participants to the history, archaeology, and wonder of Israel. This trip was far more focused on the Israel of today. We met with Israelis of every stripe—Jewish, Christian, and Muslim; secular, traditional, and ultra-religious; people whose lives and perspectives could not have been more different. We visited sites of devastation from the October 7 attack and spent time with soldiers recovering from both visible and unseen injuries.
Throughout the week, we talked, argued, and debated—in the finest tradition of Jewish learning. The goal was never for participants to agree with me, or with Doron, my friend and our guide. Rather, we hoped they would encounter the reality of Israel as it is, rather than the distorted and often biased version presented by traditional and social media.
I hope—and truly believe—that those who joined us came away with a deeper understanding of the extraordinary challenges Israel faces, the resilience of the Israeli people, and the painful complexity of this conflict, even as Israelis continue to long for peace.
This evening, three trip participants will share some of their reflections during Shabbat services. In the weeks ahead, I hope to share additional thoughts from others who traveled with us. I asked participants to reflect on what moved them most, and I am honored to share some of their responses below exactly as they were written.
This was my final TSTI Mission to Israel and I am beyond grateful to have shared it with twenty amazing community members. I look forward to seeing many of you when you travel to Israel for future TSTI Israel trips with Rabbi Klein and Cantor Moses.
With gratitude,
Rabbi Daniel Cohen