Today was another meaningful day. To start, we had the opportunity to get our hands dirty and volunteer for an organization that takes wooden pallets and repurposes them as furniture to be donated to evacuated Israelis who are still out of their homes following the October 7 attack or the war that has followed. This was an activity that I have been really looking forward to as part of our mission is to do things to help the Israelis recover from the atrocities brought upon them. The organization we were working with is called Molet.
On the bus ride outside of Tel Aviv to where Molet is located our educator Lior shared that what we were to be building was going to be given to the people of Kibbutz Kisufim, one of the many kibbutzim that was targeted on October 7. When we arrived we met Aryell, who, through his broken English explained about the organization and how, after October 7, they mobilized to help (a common theme in Israel). He shared that in the days following the attack, so many families were relocated all over the state. And since they were not able to bring anything with them, they needed all things including shelter and clothing. There were countless donations made, but often times these were not personal. For example, if a child came for a t-shirt they might not have the right size or a color they would want. As an organization that focused on design, they started making toys for the kids to play with. And as he spoke of this, he broke down into tears (as did we all) because of the way this act of kindness was impacting the families, especially the children. We learned that we would be making planters for these families to help them take their shelters and turn them into homes. We learned that these families would be displaced for two years as their kibbutz is rebuilt. Two years hardly seems to fall under the canopy of temporary, and we were all glad to get our hands dirty and get to work.
Aryell then showed us a video taken by one of the families in the Kibbutz that documented their experience on October 7. While the video was all in Hebrew, what was striking and heartbreaking was the look in the eyes of the children. There was a fear in their eyes that is indescribable. No child, no person should ever have to feel such fear. We learned that they were not rescued for 72 hours. Again, such fear.
Aryell said that our job was to take this darkness and shift it to light, and we would be doing this by repurposing old pallets that would otherwise be thrown in the trash and helping to beautify their new temporary homes.
We rolled up our sleeves and got to work.
After a brief training it was time to build!
We found our individual stations and began the process of assembling the planter boxes.
We began by removing the nails from the pallet wood that was already cut for it. This was not an easy task. We then sanded the wood smooth so no one would get splinters when handling the planter. We then added glue, drilled pilot holes and used a drill to add screws to the structure.
And after great effort (yes, a group of Jews using power tools is not something you see everyday!!), my planter was complete.
After we all finished our construction Aryell thanked us for being a part of the reconstruction of Israel. That was a profound statement for us.
“And…”
It showed us that while we were there to help others, to help these families feel just a little more comfortable in their temporary homes, we were the ones who received so much from this task. This was an important “and” moment for us all.
After we finished our building, we had a free afternoon to wander Tel Aviv. I took advantage of the time and walked the boardwalk along the Mediterranean Sea and had some lunch. The view was pretty spectacular.
“And” I feel such gratitude for being able to experience Shabbat in Israel, specifically with a special community that holds summer services overlooking the Mediterranean Sea at the Tel Aviv Port. Beit Tefilah Israeli is a unique community that attracts hundreds of people each week. We arrived early as were honored to be able to sing three pieces as a choir during services. Here is our view during Shabbat.
Shabbat is such a special time in Israel, and, this trip, it feels even more special because of what Israel and all Jews have had to deal with since October 7. The rabbi was clear in his gratitude for us being there, for being a part of this mission that is showing solidarity for the Jewish people and Israel as a state. The community shared their gratitude with us as well.
As the sun began to set, a sense of calm fell upon us.
Beit Tefilah Israeli is known for their beautiful and innovative music, and we were treated to some amazing musical moments during this service. I have always wanted to experience a service with this special community and I look forward to potentially bringing our TAE community to this next year on our family trip to Israel.
Following the service 5 GTM members went to dinner together at Yulia, a wonderful restaurant that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. We enjoyed some delicious food and really great company.
There were many special moments during our Shabbat evening together. Without question, for me the most meaningful moment, even more than participating in such a wonderful service, was when we all stood and faced the setting sun over the Mediterranean Sea and sang Eili Eili, literally singing the sun down as she went to her Shabbat rest. How I pray that Israel can experience a true Shabbat peace, with all of her children safely home with their families where they belong. I know I, along with my colleagues and friends will continue to do all we can to bring about this peace to the land we love so much.
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