Jul 15, 2024
Finding Resilience in Germany and Israel
“Every moment in Israel was a lesson to bring back and share," for Mojdeh Khaghan Danial, Greater Miami Jewish Federation General Campaign Chair, who traveled to Berlin and Israel on a recent Jewish Federations of North America Mission. Participants on the six-day expedition witnessed firsthand Federation’s impact on the emerging needs of these countries’ Jewish communities during this vulnerable moment in our shared history. President of Federation Women's Philanthropy Elise Udelson, Federation Executive Vice President Jeffrey Levin and Women's Philanthropy Director Ofi Osin-Cohen accompanied Danial and the group of 60 volunteer leaders and professionals from other Federation communities.
The Mission began in Berlin, where the group spent two days learning about the resurgence of local Jewish life and the work of Federation overseas partners to provide support, services, sanctuary and more for Ukrainian refugees. They visited the Oranienburger Strasse Synagogue (pictured above), met with Dr. Felix Klein, the country’s first Federal Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight Against Antisemitism, and Rabbi Gese Ederberg, the first female rabbi to serve in Berlin since the Holocaust. They also heard from the Ambassadors of Israel and the US about their alliances with Germany. Udelson was inspired by their stop at Camp Shalom Ukraine (pictured below), a Jewish center where teens who fled their homeland were, “dancing, thriving and regaining their dignity, thanks to the help of our generous donors.”
Along with the palpable trauma of the ongoing war, participants also encountered gratitude and hugs upon arriving in Israel and the promise of hope and resilience. The group bore witness at the Tribe of Nova music festival commemoration site and Kibbutz Nir Oz and also visited Soroka Medical Center, where they learned about the heroic efforts of the responders to the catastrophic casualties of this war. The group also met with members of Kibbutz Or Haner, located only 2.5 miles from the Gaza border, and heard about their experience on October 7 and after. As part of the Communties2Gether (C2G) program, Federation is allocating a total of $750,000 from the IEF to help residents heal from the economic and physical losses and trauma of the Ocotber 7 attacks.
The last day of the Mission included what Danial relayed as “the most gut-wrenching meeting” when the group spoke with Irene, a survivor of the October 7 massacre at Kibbutz Kfar Aza. The 21-year-old recounted how her boyfriend Netta sacrificed his own life to save hers by throwing himself on a grenade. “She laughed and talked about the hours of terror and heartbreak,” recalled Danial. “Her dark humor is her survival mode … [enabling] her to share her heartbreaking story with others even as she struggles with the guilt and doubts of her own existence.” It’s thanks to Federation beneficiary The Jewish Agency for Israel’s Fund for Victims of Terror, cited Udelson, that “Irene and thousands like her are receiving grants to rebuild their lives.”
The Mission reinforced for Danial that in all our struggles, “we can and will overcome by pulling each other up.” Similarly, Udelson acknowledged the role each of us plays, noting, “By being involved, we are writing our Jewish future. Our work, our philanthropy, our commitment, are making a difference.”
