My Israel Trip Bonded Me to the Land and Its Resilient People I Love – Part Two

This is the second column of a two-part-series on the author’s recent trip to Israel.

We are now up to the fourth day of my Authentic Israel Volunteer Experience. (To read about my first few days in Israel, see Part One.)

In Tel Aviv, we visited an unassuming apartment building where Revital Ben Tzur Josef lives. She shared her story of how one person can make a difference. In the early days after October 7, Revital started making schnitzel sandwiches out of her home to feed hungry soldiers when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were unprepared for the number of soldiers who showed up to serve. Others volunteered to help and her enterprise grew into a huge volunteer project.

We spent the morning making care packages with candy and writing letters of appreciation and encouragement to the IDF brigade that had brought home the remains of two hostages the previous week. They had been murdered on October 7. Every package we prepared had a sticker with Revital’s phone number and a message providing a hug from home. She is a dynamo and a true inspiration!

After lunch and shopping at the crowded Carmel Market, we met up again with Ayelet Segev, this time at the Ra’anana memorial to fallen soldiers, which now includes her son. She shared more about her son and that fatal day. There was not a dry eye in the group.

Friday morning, we visited what was then called Hostage Square. We watched the digital clock counting the time the hostages were in captivity; viewed pictures of hostage families at happy occasions; walked through the replica of a Hamas tunnel; and saw the piano dedicated to musician Alon Ohel and the empty table set for the remaining hostages, who, thankfully, have since returned home.

From there we made the drive to Jerusalem. The mood was somber as we contemplated the past few days. I wondered how Israelis are putting one foot in front of the other, fighting for survival after so much loss, pain and suffering. It is beyond my comprehension.

There is a feeling you get driving into Jerusalem, a city filled with thousands of years of Jewish history. It’s hard to explain its impact. Jerusalem was bustling with preparations for Shabbat, with throngs of people packing the streets, shops and restaurants.

To get the full pre-Shabbat experience I went to Ben Yehudah Street and the Machane Yehudah Market. On a side street I noticed a frenzy of people and security guards, but I couldn’t see over the crowd. I asked a tall man next to me what was happening and he pointed out Itamar Ben-Gvir, minister of national security and head of the far-right Israeli political party Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit), who was shopping and taking selfies.

I was thrilled to get a personal tour of the new Gandel Rehabilitation Center at Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus, accompanied by Barbara Goldstein, Hadassah’s ambassador-at-large at the Hadassah Offices in Israel. While I was at the 100^th Hadassah Convention in Jerusalem in 2022, I stood at Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus as the director pointed to where the future rehabilitation center would be. It was an amazing feeling to be in that building in 2025 and to see that it became a reality.

We started our visit in the temporary Emergency Room, set up in the parking structure within two weeks of October 7 to meet the needs of wounded Israeli soldiers. This amazing rehab facility has eight floors (four below ground) with seemingly endless treatment rooms for physical, occupational and speech therapies, as well as social work, physiotherapy, neurology, orthopedic, spinal cord and psychology services. There is even a mock apartment and a grocery store so patients can work on regaining skills of daily living such as getting in and out of bed, picking up a baby from a crib, cooking, doing laundry, selecting items off shelves, etc.

There are rehabilitation rooms with traditional equipment along with state-of- the-art equipment that helps paralyzed people walk, including the latest model anti-gravity machine and a machine for spinal cord stimulation. And, there are two hydrotherapy pools.

I felt such pride that our work with Hadassah supported the creation of this incredible facility. Countless soldiers and civilians have and will continue to receive the crucial high level of services for which Hadassah Hospitals are known.

As if the day wasn’t full enough, that evening we walked to the Kotel (Western Wall) to welcome Shabbat. Even though I have been to the Kotel many times, I still experienced that indescribable feeling deep inside of being somewhere sacred as I stood in the same place where my people have been for thousands of years. It always takes my breath away. Not that I needed a reminder, but the empty area near the wall —usually so crowded on a Friday evening — reminded me of the sad reality of war time and how very few tourists are visiting Israel.

Shabbat in Jerusalem is a special day for rest and rejuvenation. I chose to spend Shabbat morning at the Israel Museum, viewing the Dead Sea Scrolls and other artifacts. I especially enjoyed seeing the four reconstructed synagogue interiors from around the world: 16th-century Kochi, India; 18th-century Vittorio Veneto, Italy; 18th-century Suriname, South America; and 18th-century Horb, Germany.

A significant new experience for me was witnessing thousands of protesters at a rally that evening right outside our hotel in Paris Square, calling for the release of the hostages and marking 700 days in captivity. The location was chosen because the Prime Minister’s home was nearby. Even though I could not understand the calls, I could feel the emotion in the crowd.

The final day of my trip began at the home of Leah Aharoni, who started “Our People” at the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war to assist Ukrainian and Russian Jewish families who found refuge in Israel. The focus of her initiative shifted after October 7, and we spent the morning making care packages for soldiers and toy packages for their children. This was another reminder of what one person with an idea can do!

Our afternoon visit was to Achim L’Chaim (Brothers for Life), a day rehabilitation center where injured veterans help other injured veterans reclaim their lives. It’s not only a place for rehab but a place for companionship with others who understand what they are going through. The number of wounded men and women is staggering and even if the wounds are not visible, the trauma is there and requires treatment. The program’s numbers have doubled since October 7.

Our final stop was at the Biblical Neot Kedumim Park to plant trees for future generations and have a farewell dinner. I returned to Jerusalem and took an early evening walk, seeing groups of soldiers everywhere, enjoying one last night before returning to army service.

This day was a wonderful conclusion to my volunteer experience in Israel. The amazing dedication and resilience I witnessed brought me such hope. Who knew the next day, my final day in Israel, would be so tragic?

I woke up to a bright red sunrise over Jerusalem. On this beautiful morning, my friend and I made our way to Ben Gurion Airport via the public train, handing off leftover power bars to a group of female IDF soldiers. As I reflected on an incredibly powerful and meaningful journey, re-living the experiences we had as volunteers and remembering the people who impacted us more than we impacted them, I learned of the deadly terror attack at a public bus stop in Jerusalem. Our hearts were breaking as the news unfolded — six dead, many others injured, devastating and tragic.

My solace was having witnessed the resilience of the Israeli people and knowing that the Hadassah Medical Organization was treating many of the wounded with the best care in the world. I know nothing will deter the Jewish people from believing in, fighting for and supporting our rightful historic indigenous homeland.

Nina is a member of the Hadassah Writers’ Circle, a dynamic and diverse writing group for leaders and members to express their thoughts and feelings about all the things Hadassah does to make the world a better place. It’s where they celebrate their personal Hadassah journeys and share their Jewish values, family traditions and interpretations of Jewish texts. Hadassah members are proud of their Zionist mission and their role as keepers of the flame of Jewish values, traditions and beliefs as well as advocating for women’s empowerment and health equity for all. Since 2019, the Hadassah Writers’ Circle has published nearly 800 columns in The Times of Israel Blogs and other Jewish media outlets. Interested? Please contact hwc@hadassah.org.