Miami Leaders Reflect on Israel Solidarity Mission

Pictured, top to bottom: Miami delegation gathers in Sderot with their guide and Rena Genn, Federation Israel Office Director; Mali Naveh stands in front of her home, destroyed by rocket attacks; Federation Board Chair Brian Bilzin meets Ethiopian immigrant children in an absorption center; a client of JDC’s Center for Independent Living; Yahel, a high school student told mission participants she had a breakdown because of the bombings; children enjoy a day away from rocket attacks; Federation Board member Sidney Pertnoy thanks U.S. Ambassador Dan Shapiro. Photos by Robert Cummins.

The mission was called “Resilience & Recovery” and seven Miami Jewish leaders saw plenty of both when they toured southern Israel December 4-6. The delegation from Miami journeyed together with representatives from communities across the U.S. to express solidarity with the people of Israel and to see for themselves how the immediate response of Federation partners is helping those affected in November by intense rocket fire from terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip.

Organized by The Jewish Federations of North America, the mission brought participants to programs and initiatives operated by the Jewish Agency for Israel, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), World ORT and the Israel Trauma Coalition (ITC). Thanks to ongoing support from the Annual Greater Miami Jewish Federation/UJA Campaign, all of these organizations were already on the ground helping Israelis with a variety of social services and were able to respond immediately to the crisis.

“Although a cease-fire remains in effect, many Israelis continue to be affected by the impact of the violence,” said Federation President and Chief Executive Officer Jacob Solomon. “The mission offered participants a glimpse of the unfortunate new realities for those traumatized by the tension in the southern Israel.”

At the Jewish Agency’s Ibim Absorption Center, Director Moshe Bata spoke of Ethiopian immigrants' experiences in adapting to the conflict and barrage of rockets. Many had arrived less than two months prior to the attacks, and have benefited from the staff’s efforts to create a safe environment for children and adults.

At JDC’s Center for Independent Living in Beersheva – which serves more than 3,000 Israelis with disabilities – mission participants learned how Center Director Dahlia Zilberman relocated the offices and 24 volunteers to her own home when rockets threatened the area. The volunteers distributed emergency kits to their clients and enabling families to be safe throughout “red alarm” alerts, when caregivers were unable to offer assistance.

Mission participants also visited Shaar HaNegev High School, where students and staff discussed how it feels to live under constant fear of rocket attack.

“You have to question what the long-term impact is for the youth of this country, especially the boys and girls from the south, as they go through the rest of their lives,” said Federation Board Chair Brian Bilzin after visiting the school.

Bilzin spoke of meeting Yahel, an 11th-grader living just north of Gaza. “‘I was so scared,’ she said, articulating the normal human reaction to what she'd gone through. This is a fear that has not left Yahel. I don't think any of us are smart enough to know how this plays out for the youth of the country over the next 15 or 20 years, and what it leads to.”

Federation General Campaign Chair Robert Berrin said it was gratifying to see the results of Federation support for recent terror victims.

“The long- and short-term toll on the Israeli children is one of our greatest concerns. One of the ways we have helped to bring relief to these youngsters is to take them away from rocket fire for a day of respite. Over the course of one week, our partner, the Jewish Agency for Israel, took more than 30,000 children to shopping malls, paintball parks and other venues to allow them to just be kids for a day,” said Berrin. “The fact that we as a Federation community were able to provide even a short-term escape from the area and a vital respite to these children during Operation Pillar of Defense truly demonstrates the value of our partnership with the people of Israel.”

During a visit to the ITC resilience center in Sderot, mission participants heard from professionals and volunteers about the continuing needs in Israel’s south, as people exit survival mode and begin therapy and post-trauma treatment.

For Scott Wagner, it was powerful to hear from Israelis about how Federation funds are helping them to cope and rebuild. “Most important, they knew they weren't alone, that we were here for them, that we had their back and that we were supporting them in solidarity from afar," Wagner said.

Julie Russin Bercow said she was “extremely proud of the work JFNA does and the care in which it plans for emergencies.” She said, “I learned a great deal, which helped me put into perspective in a real way the difficulties of living under such conditions in Israel.”

Sidney Pertnoy said he was moved by the reflections of a young Israeli pilot who explained the great lengths that he went through to avoid civilian casualties.

“He was more proud of this aspect of his work than any other and concluded stating how proud he was to be in the Israeli Air Force,” Pertnoy said. “I hope more and more of us from Miami go to Israel in the coming weeks and months, as our Israeli family needs to know we stand with them shoulder to shoulder.”

Before the group left Israel, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro thanked them for devoting their time and passion to helping the people of Israel. “It means a lot to this country, and it also means a lot to us here at the Embassy, knowing what you are doing to strengthen the Israeli-American relationship – something that is very important to all of us.”

Federation Chief Development Officer Jeffrey Levin said that while it was humbling to look into the eyes of those who have suffered, it was also “empowering to know that our community had the ability to make a difference in their lives when they needed it most. That's what Jewish solidarity is all about.”