Standing together in unity with the people of Israel - Part II

This is the conclusion of Simonds' journal of the Orlando delegation of the JLI-Land and Spirit trip to Israel.

Day 5 (Friday, March 21)

City of David – A walking tour of the area that was the palace for King David, and then the Administration for King Solomon when he built the Temple. Amazing history that included a tour of the tunnel that was used to draw water from the river whenever the city was under siege. In fact, it was through this tunnel that David was able to capture Jerusalem. The story of David and the ongoing archeological digs that were covered was extensive in just a few hours' time. We had the afternoon to prepare for Shabbat.

Kotel – One of the trip's most meaningful and memorable moments is to welcome Shabbat at the Western Wall. To pray, sing, and dance at the Kotel (!) at the Shabbat evening service is the essence of being a Jew in Eretz Yisrael. Pure joy!

Day 6 (Shabbat, March 22)

Shabbat Service – A beautiful service in our hotel's synagogue. Led by eight different Chabad rabbis, the service offered a unique opportunity to reflect on the meaning of each Torah portion. It was unbelievable to think that I was standing at the area that was the construction site of the Holy Temple. Not imagining it. Not reading about, but actually there! Feeling a part of it! The service was extra special as it was the bar mitzvah of a young man whose father had been killed fighting in Gaza to defend Israel.

Shabbat Afternoon – A nice walking tour of the area close by our hotel. The good news when walking around Jerusalem is that you cannot walk 50 feet without coming upon a significant piece of our Jewish heritage and history. We saw the Montefiore Windmill. This windmill was built by the philanthropist Sir Moses Montefiore in 1857 and was used to grind grain to make flour. He also established living quarters for the people working the mill; effectively establishing the first "suburb" outside of the city walls.

Havdalah – The Mamilla Mall, an upscale shopping complex that leads to the Jaffa Gate of the Old City, was the site for our entire tour group to light the Havdalah candle and dance (and sing ourselves hoarse) to Am Yisrael Chai, and some other beautiful songs celebrating Israel and its people.

Day 7 (Sunday, March 23)

Morning Speaker – Every morning we had a speaker share their Oct. 7 experiences. They all were impactful and inspiring; but the speaker on this morning shared with us his very challenging job, which I believe may be the most difficult job in Israel. He is in the IDF and it his job to visit and personally notify the families when an IDF hero has been killed. Israel may be the only country whose military provides comfort and support to families for as long as they need it. He said that he has "good days and bad days." I asked him afterwards, "what possibly could be a good day." He answered, "to visit someone who has lost a loved one and have them tell me that after 4-5 weeks, they had the strength to get out of bed and take a shower. That is a good day." Compassion.

Burial Place of Samuel the Prophet – The site is a small fortress and is believed to be the burial place of the Prophet Samuel; who anointed the first kings of Israel - Saul and David. The view from the top of the fortress was breathtaking ... and sobering. Looking west we could see the coastline of Tel Aviv. Looking East we could see Jordan. The small "waistline" of Israel serves as a reminder of how challenging it is to keep and maintain the land that G-d promised for us to Abraham.

Shiloh – Fascinating to have read Torah portions that detailed the Tabernacle, and then visiting the very site where it was kept for 360 years before King Solomon built the Temple. The Shlucah for the Chabad of Shiloh shared with us how the 450-family community had 100 births the year before the Oct. 7 attacks, and then there were none because nearly all the men were off to Gaza (or Lebanon) to defend Israel. Over time, men were able to come home briefly for leave and one woman, who had been trying for 10 years to get pregnant through IVF, miraculously got pregnant. The miracle, as we saw it, was not the IVF but the IDF (her soldier husband). The baby was born, and his given Hebrew name means "The Generation of Victory."

Genesis Land – We visited the "Tent of Abraham" in the Judean Desert. A banquet set in the time of our forefather. The food, as was the case throughout the entire trip was amazing, but the highlight of the evening was the introduction of the Special in Uniform unit. Israel is the only country in the world that has men and women with special needs serve in the military based on their skills and capabilities. A totally blind soldier spoke to us. He has an important job in the Ministry of Defense. We were entertained by three young men from the Special in Uniform unit that had singing talent that could sell out major concert venues back in the States. The love that they have and expressed for their country, the IDF, and their fellow Israelis was one of the most uplifting moments for me of the entire trip - and there were so many.

Day 8 (Monday, March 24)

Morning Free time – Our last day in Israel. We walked in the area of the Old City and Jaffa Street for last minute shopping.

Har Herzl National Cemetery – We walked the sections of the heroes from the War of Independence, the Lebanon Wars, and the most recent war with Gaza that made the ultimate sacrifice defending the State of Israel. We spoke with some soldiers, one who had just been released from the rehabilitation hospital, that were there to honor a fallen member of their unit. There is no more impactful place that I visited that exemplifies the strength and unity of the people of Israel than this cemetery. The grave site markers are decorated with reminders of what these brave men and women enjoyed most in life that resulted in them giving their lives so that we can carry on enjoying ours. I had the honor of saying Kaddish for a fallen hero, Yoan Brief Z"L, who is the nephew of Debra Hoffen. A wonderful woman in our community.

Evening Dinner – Our last event before heading to the airport for our flight back to Orlando. We heard from a heroic police officer from Sderot who took out many terrorists before being shot in her hand. She was outgunned and outmanned so she "played dead" until she was rescued by the IDF. She stated throughout her speech that she does not consider herself a hero. Amazing. We also heard from Iris Haim, a woman who lost her son in the IDF to friendly fire. The risk of loss from friendly fire in the fog of war is very real and painful. A number of families have taken to protest the government and their handling of the war due to these unfortunate events. This woman, after sitting shiva for her son, reached out to the IDF to let them know that she does not blame Israel's military or the government for this tragedy. She blames Hamas. Her courage and resolve to keep and strengthen the unity of Israel was a powerful message for us to bring back to Orlando.

In conclusion – My takeaways from this amazing trip are as follows:

As much as we thanked them for defending Israel, for defending all of us, the people of Israel that we met (and we met very many) actually were thanking us for coming to Israel to personally show our support.

We are, and must remain, in unity with our "brothers and sisters" in Israel. We can have disagreements without contradiction, and we can have contradiction without conflict against each other. Am Yisrael Chai.

If you have not been to Israel (ever or even recently), GO! See for yourself and hear for yourself what happened on Oct. 7... and what the Jewish state is doing since that horrific day to bring peace and security to Israel. See and hear for yourself how extraordinary our "brothers and sisters" really are in facing their many challenges.

If the question comes up that perhaps you can't afford to go to Israel to personally show your support. I understand, but I would also ask you to consider that perhaps, given all that has gone on in the world since Oct. 7, that maybe you can't afford not to. This is not just about Oct. 7. This is about us ... ALL of us. Do it for our homeland. Do it for the people of Israel. Do it for yourself. Next Year in Jerusalem!