Twenty-three rabbis from New York concluded the first solidarity mission to Israel following Operation Guardian of the Walls. Representing a cross-section of the Jewish community the delegation traveled to Israel to demonstrate their support for Israel, to better understand the impact of the recent conflict with Hamas and civil unrest and to meet with local leaders on the ground to hear how they plan to move society forward.
Highlights of the trip included a visit to the ITC Resilience Center in Ashkelon and a visit to see the Kedma project in Kibbutz Nir Oz, a UJA-Federation partner initiative geared toward building resilience in the Gaza envelope. The delegation also went to Lod, where they met with organizations that have joint Arab and Jewish leadership, visited a home hit by a Hamas rocket and talked with both Arab and Jewish residents and leaders about the challenges facing their communities today.
Members of the delegation included: Rabbi Steven Exler, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale; Rabbi Dr. Richard Hidary, Yeshiva Univeristy; Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn, The Community Synagogue, Westport; Rabbi Deborah Bravo, Makom NY; Rabbi Howard Buechler, Dix Hills Jewish Center; Rabbi Claudio Kupchik, Temple Beth El of Cedarhurst; Rabbi Angela W. Buchdahl, Central Synangogue; Rabbi Aaron Brusso, Bet Torah, Westchester; Rabbi Chaim Marder, Hebrew Institue of White Plains; Rabbi Yosie Levine, The Jewish Center; Rabbi Elie Wienstock, Jewish Center of Atlantic Beach; Rabba Sara Hurwitz, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale; Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum, Irving Place Minyan; Rabbi Rachel Ain, Sutton Place Synagogue; Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove, Park Avenue Synagogue; Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz, Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun; Rabbi Manes Kogan, Hillcrest Jewish Center, Queens; Rabbi Daniel B. Gropper, Community Synagogue of Rye; Rabbi David Schuck, Beth El Synagogue Center, New Rochelle; Rabbi Hershel Billet, Young Israel of Woodmere; Rabbi Ya’akov Trump, Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst; Rabbi Avi Weiss, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah; and Rabbi Meir Feldman, Temple Beth-El Great Neck; and Eric S. Goldstein, UJA-Federation of New York.
