My Israel Story

This past summer, I was fortunate to be able to spend 10 weeks in Israel. One of the highlights of my trip was the 6 days I spent in Shoham, Memphis’s sister city. I stayed with two host families, and I helped at the Gan (preschool), assisting in a classroom of 4-5 year olds. The families I stayed with were warm and welcoming, and I felt right at home. I got to practice my Hebrew, and I even learned some new vocabulary from the children! During my stay in Shoham, I had a glimpse into the everyday life of an Israeli family.

My summer started with Birthright and Birthright Extended trips. Then I participated in a program called Summer in Jerusalem for 6 weeks. I interned for an organization that serves children with special needs. Many of the families of these children struggle with food insecurity and poverty in general. As part of the Summer in Jerusalem program, we had classes every night in Tanakh, Jewish Philosophy, Jewish Law, and Talmud. After spending this summer in Israel, I feel an even greater connection to the land and people.  My stay in Shoham was a meaningful and unique experience for me, and was something that not many of my peers were able to do. I am so grateful for Memphis Jewish Federation for arranging my host families in Shoham and for helping me to participate in the Birthright programs.  

Rebecca Sabin is the daughter of Joanne Levine and Noah Sabin. During Summer 2019, she participated in Summer in Jerusalem, a 6-week work/study program in Israel for college students. Memphis Jewish Federation organized home hospitality for her in Shoham, Memphis’s partnership city in Israel. All Memphians traveling to Israel are invited to visit Shoham. For more information about obtaining home hospitality in Shoham during the week or for Shabbat, please call the Federation office at 767-7100.

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Memphis Jewish Federation’s yearlong celebration of Israel’s 70th birthday will culminate with an exhibit highlighting individuals from the Memphis Jewish community as well as from Shoham, Memphis’s partner city in Israel, announced Laura Linder, President and CEO of Jewish Community Partners.

The 70 Faces exhibit will launch on Monday, December 10 in the lobby of the MJCC, with a reception 5:30-7:30 pm, open to the community. Many of the featured “Faces” will be in attendance, and community members can browse the profiles and meet the subjects in person. Follow the link to learn more and RSVP on the JCP Facebook page. 

Subjects were chosen through a collaborative nomination process aimed at highlighting individuals who contribute to the community in a variety of ways but are not broadly known. A parallel process took place in Shoham. Stories vary— heartwarming, inspiring, and sometimes humorous, they represent ordinary people doing extraordinary things. There are women, men, and children; Jews by birth and Jews by choice; Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Jews; fifth-generation Memphians and immigrants. You’ll read about a doctor making strides in cancer research, a tween who writes for Scholastic’s “Kid Reporter” blog, the only female gabbai (synagogue sexton) in Memphis, a farmer and conservationist from Arkansas, and many more. And that’s just from the Memphis stories! Memphians will also enjoy “meeting” an equally diverse array of subjects from Shoham.

The 70 Faces project kicked off in March with a visit from Erez Kaganovitz, photojournalist and founder of Humans of Tel Aviv, an ongoing social media project Erez has described as “giv[ing] people around the world an inside look into the rich and remarkably diverse lives of Tel Aviv [residents] and showcas[ing] Israeli multiculturalism and vibrant civil society.” Erez came to Memphis through the MJCC’s Israeli Scholar-in-Residence program, funded in part by MJF’s Lemsky Endowment Fund. He presented a series of lectures and workshops to community members, including hands-on photojournalism training for those who volunteered to produce content for 70 Faces. Melinda Lejman, JCP’s Israel @70 Coordinator, matched volunteers with subjects and worked with Memphis Jewish agencies and synagogues to coordinate and market the project.

“It’s been a wonderful experience, tapping into a skill that I love and getting to know some remarkable people in our community who I didn’t know,” said Jaynie. “I’m very grateful to Melinda for her guidance along the way.”

The main idea behind Humans of Tel Aviv and 70 Faces is simple— find people with compelling personal stories, interview them, and publish a photo and short bio. “I’m not forcing my ideas upon others,” Erez said, “but rather simply taking a photo, telling a story, and letting it speak for itself.” And yet, subtle nuances of photography and storytelling can produce transformative results. Erez conducted several interviews in Memphis in order to provide shadowing and mentorship opportunities for the volunteer photojournalists. They learned practical photography skills in camera angles, focus, and lighting, as well as how to ask the right questions of their subjects to bring out compelling anecdotes.

The photojournalists, who represent all segments of the Memphis Jewish community and also come from a wide age spectrum, include Pesya Berezin, Rivka Braverman, Gali Du, Chany Fleischhacker, Zahara Goldkin, Leah Goldman, Natalie and Jimmy Jalenak, Jaynie Judaken, Rena Knopf, Stuart Lazarov, Michael and Melinda Lejman, Lynnie Mirvis, Jill Notowich, Jennifer Roberts, Amir Sharabi, Jillian Spiegel, and Sarah VanderWalde. They each spent extensive time getting to know their subjects, meeting them at their homes or in other places meaningful to them in order to capture compelling images and narratives.

Members of the 70 Faces Committee include Melanie Fine, Cindy Finestone, Rabbi Mordechai Harris, Rena Knopf, Jennifer Roberts, and Scott Notowich, who serves as JCP’s Vice Chair of Israel & Overseas.

“We are so excited to finally bring this meaningful project to fruition,” Scott said. “I am looking forward to the Memphis Jewish community getting to know better some of the hidden gems of our community as well as introducing them to some of our brothers and sisters in Shoham who also have compelling life stories. This American-Israeli getting to know each other is what the Memphis-Shoham Partnership is all about.”

Following the opening reception on December 10, the 70 Faces exhibit will run for two weeks.

The Memphis-Shoham Partnership is part of the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Partnership2gether Peoplehood Platform, connecting 450 Jewish and Israeli communities in 47 city-to-city and region-to-region Partnerships, engaging more than 350,000 participants each year in meaningful ongoing connections between Israelis and Jews through unique programs and one-on-one encounters. The Memphis-Shoham Partnership includes school twinnings, professionals’ exchanges, youth encounters, Israel mission visits and more.

Photos, from top to bottom. (Note- some mobile devices may not display the top {cover} photo.)  

  • Jessica Sukholdosky and Joel Siegel
  • Jordan Geller
  • Sylvia Appleton

Memphis Faces

Matthew Abis, Tania Addess, Sylvia Albert, Patrick Almalem, Leeya Alperin, Sylvia Appleton, David Bearman, Gabby Bray, Jeff Bronze, Charlotte Fineburg Bruechner, Maurice Buring, Jason Caplan, Marleyna Carpenter, Jed Dreifus, Gali Du, Rich Faber, Leslie Fargotstein, Sam Fargotstein and David Edelson, Freddie Felt, Sara First, Hal Fogelman, JoAnn Fusco, Jordan Geller, Dorothy Goldwin, Judi Harrick, Lisa Harris, Mark Hayden, Matthew Hollon, Linda Joffre, Shirley Kaplan, Sadie Kiel, Marty LeVine, Amara Levine-Reich, Marshall Levy, Richard and Aviva Lewis, Barry Lichterman, Jake Lipsey, Celia Lubin, Tresha Mandel, Fred and Elaine Miner, Susan and David Moinester, Yaakov Muchnik, Alvin Notowich, Sally Rosenberg, Randa Rosenblum, Carter Rosenthal, David Ross, Chana Rovner, Robin Salant, Harry Samuels, Sherri Samuels, Mildred Schwartz, Lee Schwartzberg, Irv Serenco, Dessie Sewel, Alayne Shoenfeld, Shoshana Silbermann, Felicitas Sloves, Daniel Snyder, Jessica Sukhodolsky and Joel Siegel, Rachel Sanderson, Joel and Mariette Turetzky, Curt Ward, Cindi Weinstein, Mike Weiss, Bert Wolff, Sofia Zamuel, Todd Zoblotsky

Shoham Faces

Monica Balachssan, Suzi Bar, Yossi Ben Haim, Levana Ben Naim, Yuval Ben Ze’ev, Tammy Brikman, Yael Dahan, Adi Deutsch, Gali Deutsch, Dana Edelstein-Yirmiyahu, Einat Elisha, Meital Eran-Jona, Sharon Gabriel, Gefen Gilinski, Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, Nir Hamou, Hanny Karas, Shir Kochav, Assaf Loyton, Sigal Magen, Keren Muchnik, Lior Peretz, Iris Raber Cohen, Gilad Rabinovich, Frida Raz, Peleg Reshef, Sapir Ritblat, Zehava Shneor, Ofra Sion Retter, Tsofiya Silberman, Kokhy Sitbon, Ziva Sviatlowski, Florence Vaknin, Tali Versano-Eisman, Yaniv Wisney

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We’ve reached the end of the My Israel Story series, with this 70th entry from one of our community’s members of Congress, Representative David Kustoff.

70 Memphians from all corners of the Mid-South have shared their stories for this special series celebrating Israel’s 70th birthday, showing us that there are as many ways to experience Israel as there are people to make the journey. Read the full series here. 

Pictured above: Congressman Kustoff, left, pictured at the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy. 

What Israel Means to Me

Last August, I had the incredible opportunity to visit Israel for the first time as a Congressman. The adage about “walking a mile in someone’s shoes” to understand what they are going through was truly put to test on this trip. Personally, this adventure to Israel was a life-changing experience, and I gained a new perspective as well as deeper appreciation for the Holy Land.

The Congressman, third from left, with his delegation touring the Negev.

One Friday morning, hours before Shabbat began, our delegation traveled to Masada, where we viewed and touched the ruins of the royal citadel. While I have studied the story, standing on the actual ground where the Jewish people decided they would not succumb to Roman suppression was surreal. The significance of Masada’s history proves heroism exists in even the darkest moments. More importantly, this story proves that our Jewish legacy cannot and will not be erased. It was at Masada where I felt this spectacular story come to life. I realized that, while we have faced many trials and tribulations along the way, the Jewish people have and will always prevail and continue to be a light for the world.

Almost every day, you hear about the constant security threats that Israel faces being surrounded by so many hostile neighbors. Whether it is Hamas in Gaza, or Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies in Lebanon and Syria, Israel’s adversaries are persistent and much closer than many assume. I saw this with my own eyes as we traveled up to Northern Israel and looked out into Lebanon and Syria. I stood on the border, shocked, confirming in my mind that the threat to Israel is undoubtedly real and extremely serious.

I cannot imagine living in a country that faces so many security challenges on all its borders and beyond. At our meeting in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, I learned even more about the challenges Israel faces, including the disturbing inculcation of hatred toward Israel and Jews propagated by some of the region’s religious and political leaders. This moment gave me a deeper appreciation for and understanding of the importance of protecting Israel, our friend and closest ally. The Prime Minister’s message to us was that he appreciates all of the work we have done so far and hopes we can continue to bolster our support for the Jewish state.

On the last night of our trip, each Member of Congress was asked to share moments that personally affected them while being in Israel. As the sole Jewish member in attendance, it was heartening to hear how Israel moved so many of my Christian colleagues and that we all are committed to preserving the sanctity of the Holy Land. Ultimately, traveling to Israel enabled me to become a more knowledgeable advocate for her and her people. This perspective will allow me to fight for Israel effectively in Congress. For 70 years, this small but resilient country has stood the test of time and has fought off its enemies with great strength and compassion. It has developed into a thriving and modern country, one where people of all faiths can live and prosper. Like the story of Masada, Israel has proven to its enemies and the world that the Jewish people will never stop fighting for our right to exist. By traveling to Israel, my eyes were opened, and I gained a new perspective—one that has shaped both my work in Congress and my life as a Jewish man.

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We’ve marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel with a year-long celebration! We hope you’ve seen “Memphis Celebrates Israel at 70” branding at your synagogue, at events around town, and online. In this My Israel Story series, we asked Memphians to tell their personal Israel stories. 

 

Andy and Jan Groveman sit with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the 2013 JFNA General Assembly in Jerusalem.

What Israel Means to Me

As a young married couple, I remember when my wife Jan and I took our first trip to Israel in 1982 with the Memphis Jewish Federation. Much like when we first met each other, it was love at first sight for the both of us. Over the following 36 years, as our marriage grew, so, too, did our love affair with Israel. It has not only lasted, but our love for our beloved Israel has only grown stronger with the passing of each and every year. For us Israel is the focal point of not only our lives, but in the lives of our children and grandchildren, as well.

When they were small, we wanted our children Ariel and Adam to understand and learn about their Jewish heritage, so we began by taking them for the summer to Israel every year.  Initially, when the kids were still small, we rented an apartment.  But, 27 years ago, we decided we would buy an apartment in Jerusalem. That was clearly a purchase of the heart.

Our home in Jerusalem has provided us so many happy memories and meaningful family moments over the years. It has been “home-base” for us all ever since. We go there several times a year and try to have at least one family vacation each year where we and our children and grandchildren all come together to enjoy our second home.

Jan and I would even take Ariel and Adam as small children to the Jewish Agency meetings every summer. To some that might seem odd, even strange. However, we saw it as a way for them to learn more, not only about Israel, the state and country, but also its people and our traditions of mutual responsibility that is so much a part of our shared Jewish values and history.

To this day, 28 years later, I have continued my involvement with the Jewish Agency. On my most recent visit, I was honored to have been able to attend the opening ceremony of the US Embassy’s much anticipated move to Jerusalem. Over the years I have traveled to Israel over 100 times and can truly say I have loved every minute of each visit.

As time has gone by, our family has grown. What was once home for Ariel, Adam, Jan and me, now is home for our daughter Ariel and husband Josh Weiner, their children Ilan, Yael, and Meirav, as well as our son Adam Groveman and his wife Julie, and their children Liam and Shane. We are additionally blessed to have been fortunate to share our Israel apartment with my wife’s parents, Marilyn and  Jack  Belz, whenever they visit.

It was Marilyn and Jack and grandparents, all of blessed memory, Sarah and Philip Belz and Ruthie and Edwin Hanover, who schooled us in love of family and our commitment to philanthropy and our deep connection to our people and our land. Their presence provides for us, along with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, the enjoyment and fulfillment of experiencing a multi-generational home in Israel.

The feeling of coming home is something we get to enjoy both in Memphis and in Jerusalem. We have many blessings for which to be thankful – family, faith and our beloved State of Israel.

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We’ve marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel with a year-long celebration! We hope you’ve seen “Memphis Celebrates Israel at 70” branding at your synagogue, at events around town, and online. In this My Israel Story series, we asked Memphians to tell their personal Israel stories. 

 

Andy and Jan Groveman sit with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the 2013 JFNA General Assembly in Jerusalem.

What Israel Means to Me

As a young married couple, I remember when my wife Jan and I took our first trip to Israel in 1982 with the Memphis Jewish Federation. Much like when we first met each other, it was love at first sight for the both of us. Over the following 36 years, as our marriage grew, so, too, did our love affair with Israel. It has not only lasted, but our love for our beloved Israel has only grown stronger with the passing of each and every year. For us Israel is the focal point of not only our lives, but in the lives of our children and grandchildren, as well.

When they were small, we wanted our children Ariel and Adam to understand and learn about their Jewish heritage, so we began by taking them for the summer to Israel every year.  Initially, when the kids were still small, we rented an apartment.  But, 27 years ago, we decided we would buy an apartment in Jerusalem. That was clearly a purchase of the heart.

Our home in Jerusalem has provided us so many happy memories and meaningful family moments over the years. It has been “home-base” for us all ever since. We go there several times a year and try to have at least one family vacation each year where we and our children and grandchildren all come together to enjoy our second home.

Jan and I would even take Ariel and Adam as small children to the Jewish Agency meetings every summer. To some that might seem odd, even strange. However, we saw it as a way for them to learn more, not only about Israel, the state and country, but also its people and our traditions of mutual responsibility that is so much a part of our shared Jewish values and history.

To this day, 28 years later, I have continued my involvement with the Jewish Agency. On my most recent visit, I was honored to have been able to attend the opening ceremony of the US Embassy’s much anticipated move to Jerusalem. Over the years I have traveled to Israel over 100 times and can truly say I have loved every minute of each visit.

As time has gone by, our family has grown. What was once home for Ariel, Adam, Jan and me, now is home for our daughter Ariel and husband Josh Weiner, their children Ilan, Yael, and Meirav, as well as our son Adam Groveman and his wife Julie, and their children Liam and Shane. We are additionally blessed to have been fortunate to share our Israel apartment with my wife’s parents, Marilyn and  Jack  Belz, whenever they visit.

It was Marilyn and Jack and grandparents, all of blessed memory, Sarah and Philip Belz and Ruthie and Edwin Hanover, who schooled us in love of family and our commitment to philanthropy and our deep connection to our people and our land. Their presence provides for us, along with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, the enjoyment and fulfillment of experiencing a multi-generational home in Israel.

The feeling of coming home is something we get to enjoy both in Memphis and in Jerusalem. We have many blessings for which to be thankful – family, faith and our beloved State of Israel.

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We’re marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel with a year-long celebration! Keep an eye out for “Memphis Celebrates Israel at 70” branding at your synagogue, at events around town, and online. In this My Israel Story series, we’re asking Memphians to tell their personal Israel stories. Do you have a story to tell?

 

You never forget the first time you stand in front of the Kotel. We are commanded to face the east when we pray and many people hang a “mizrach” on their eastern wall, often with a picture of the Kotel on it, making the sight a familiar one. Yet, as you approach the Kotel, no matter from which direction, and look up and behold it, you feel a sublime connection to it.

I remember visiting the Kotel countless times as a child, seeing it through the eyes of an innocent girl who heard stories about this holy place. Then, after a few years away, I returned to Israel as an adult and made my way to the Kotel, alone and intentionally visiting it. At that moment, as I slowly walked towards it and took in the totality of the sight – men and women, young and old, gathered in front of this monument to our people, hundreds of years of Jewish continuity in the land in a few meters of square blocks – I was truly awed. It took my breath away and it took my heart, too. At that moment I knew I would never really be able to walk away from this place, and, indeed, it seems as if I never have.

The only artwork I have on the wall of my home in Memphis is a painting by Shalom of Safed entitled “Ask for the Peace of Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is not only in my heart, it is in my blood. One side of my family lives in Israel and my hundreds of cousins are, like me, first generation Sabras. Our parents were born in what was then called the British Mandate of Palestine; some even fought for the British in WWII.

My father tells stories of growing up in Jerusalem before and after the War of Independence, and the challenges of a Jerusalem divided. By the time I was born, Israel had become a state and Jerusalem was transformed as a reunified whole, with the Kotel back in her hands. Jerusalem is where I bought my first apartment, my first car, and had my first real job. And, Jerusalem is where I met my husband, himself a first generation Yerushalmi. It is the place where I am most myself and most at home.

These days, although I live in Memphis, I find Jerusalem continues to hold a central place in my life. Most years I teach Hebrew and history, crafting my lessons around the centrality of that special city. My students tell me stories of their first time in Israel, describing their unique moments in words I understand full well. My friends regale me with tales of a modern city I would not recognize, informing me of where to eat and visit. And I dream of the time, soon, when I can return to my beloved Jerusalem.

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We’re marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel with a year-long celebration! Keep an eye out for “Memphis Celebrates Israel at 70” branding at your synagogue, at events around town, and online. In this My Israel Story series, we’re asking Memphians to tell their personal Israel stories. Do you have a story to tell?

Rabbi Levi Klein, Rabbi and Executive Director of Chabad of Tennessee

My family connection with Israel goes back many generations. My father was born in Israel, as was his father, and his mother was the 7th generation born in the holy city of Tzfat. The first time I went to Israel was in the summer of 1981 when I was 14 years old to visit my grandfather. My Grandfather, o.b.m., lived in Israel  and that was the first time that I was able to meet him, being that he never left Israel his entire life (as some have a custom of not leaving Israel due to the holiness of the land). I spent 2 months in Israel visiting many relatives and sites across the entire land from the Golan Heights in the north to Eilat in the south. It was an amazing experience that is quite difficult to describe. Anyone who has visited Israel knows the amazing feeling of what it is like to visit Israel for the first time.

Rabbi Levi and Rivky Klein in the Judean Desert.

I spent some time learning in a Yeshiva in Jerusalem and attended a summer camp there as well. Until today I have friends that I am still in touch with from that summer. I vividly remember the dreading feeling I had on the flight back to the United States of leaving Israel and thinking of when will be the next time that I can visit Israel.

Since then I have been back to Israel many times and on many different types of trips. I have visited with my wife Rivky and our children several times and I have traveled with families from Memphis to celebrate Bar Mitzvahs and weddings. I have visited with communal solidarity missions and with the many trips that I have led over the years on our JLI Land Spirit Trips as we took many participants from Memphis to visit the Holy Land.

One trip to Israel that stands out from the rest was a trip I took in the summer of 1999. I went to Israel with my wife Rivky and our three small children that we had at the time. I went to become certified as a Mohel, and was privileged to apprentice with the prestigious, world-renowned late chief Mohel of Israel Rabbi Yosef Weisberg, at Jerusalem’s Shaarei Tzedek and Haddasah Hospitals. Various things made that summer unique. We rented an apartment and we lived there for that summer rather than just visiting as tourists, I went to work each day and we shopped in the local stores for food to cook and we hosted friends in our apartment. We enrolled our children in camp and got to experience what it was like to live in Israel. Rabbi Weisberg was a very sought after Mohel by people of all backgrounds, both religious and non-religious, and many of the ‘who’s who’ in Israeli society desired Rabbi Weisberg to be the Mohel for their children and grandchildren. This gave me the opportunity to meet many of the greats of Israel that summer, from great Rabbis to high government officials, Chassidic Rebbes to heads of the many Yeshivot, Sephardic Rabbis to community leaders, and many people from all segments of Israel. It was amazing to see and interact with the many types of Jews that make up the beautiful tapestry of the people of Israel.

I have thankfully lost count of how many times I have visited Israel. In the last 17 years I have visited at least once a year. One of the things I love the most about visiting Israel is going on a trip with first-timers, as I get to relive that special “First Timer Experience” through them. I cannot ever get enough of Israel.

 

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We’re marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel with a year-long celebration! Keep an eye out for “Memphis Celebrates Israel at 70” branding at your synagogue, at events around town, and online. In this My Israel Story series, we’re asking Memphians to tell their personal Israel stories. Do you have a story to tell?

 

My husband and I embarked on a trip of a lifetime. We left Memphis on March 26, 2018 with six carry-ons, four kids, four suitcases, three car seats, two strollers, and one hiking backpack. It took three flights and three days until we arrived at our final destination – Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. Not only did we make it, but our luggage did too!

We know we are crazy for traveling almost 7,000 miles with four young children but Israel has been calling for us. My husband had not been to Israel since his gap year between high school and college. I have a brother in Israel who I had not seen in ten years and never met five of his eight children. My husband had been saying we had to go since we got married but it always seemed impossible. First he was in medical school and residency and had no time off. Then we had children. If we went alone, who would watch our kids? If we take the kids, how do we manage the logistics and cost? But he was adamant that it was time. The question was when and how. We decided on Passover 2018.

In ten days, our family walked, hiked, swam, climbed, rappelled, rode in Jeeps, drove ATVs, ate delicious food and prayed. There is no way to squeeze our experiences into 500 words for an article so we will share some highlights from our four children.

Ethan, age 9. “Rappelling 70 feet off a cliff into Gai Ben Hinnom, which is the Hinnom Valley surrounding the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. Even though it was raining and slippery, it was the coolest thing I’ve ever done.”

Nava, age 7. “In Jerusalem we got to go to the Kotel. I put a letter in the Wall and I hope my wish comes true. I also loved how much kosher food there was in Israel. Eating kosher for Passover chicken nuggets at McDonalds was really cool and seeing all the kosher gummy candy in Machane Yehuda was awesome. I wanted to bring it all home with me to Memphis!”

Ezra, age 4. “Going in the Dead Sea was my favorite. I thought I would be scared but I just floated on my back!”

Eli, 18 months. Who knows? Probably being carried in the hiking backpack while the rest of us were exhausted!

As parents, it was incredible to see the love our kids have for Israel. The value of our kids’ Jewish day school education was apparent everywhere we went! They ordered food in Hebrew, gave tzedakah willingly, and felt comfortable davening at many holy sites. While traveling with 4 kids was quite the endeavor, it was worth it. My husband was right (although it’s rare!) that Passover 2018 was our time to visit Israel.

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We’re marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel with a year-long celebration! Keep an eye out for “Memphis Celebrates Israel at 70” branding at your synagogue, at events around town, and online. In this My Israel Story series, we’re asking Memphians to tell their personal Israel stories. Do you have a story to tell?

 

Last summer, I had the opportunity to go on March of the Living. I had no idea what to expect when I boarded the plane to Poland. These are a few of my experiences as I recorded them in my journal…

I was more mad than sad when I saw Auschwitz and Birkenau. What I don’t understand is how one man could gain all this power and create so much hate that he could delegate thousands of people to enforce. That doesn’t make sense to me now, and I don’t know if it ever will.

Auschwitz was laid out as I imagined it would be. It was brutal to stand in an oven where millions of Jews had been killed. I haven’t wrapped my head around how I really feel about all of this yet. I am very glad that I have had the first-hand experience to see the camps that some people refer to as “fake” and “propaganda”.

The march yesterday was sadder than I thought it would be. I thought it would be a happy and proud march. Even though I was proud to be marching and it was very powerful and important, I still felt sad as I stood on the land where millions of people had perished. I walked in complete silence the entire time, while others talked or sang. I just thought about how surreal it was that I have the opportunity to march for those who can’t, when I’ve always wanted to do something for the people who suffered in the Holocaust. The March itself, and seeing the concentration camps and death camps, is something I will never forget, and I will take my knowledge and educate those who don’t know or don’t believe. I have pictures; I have proof. I was there.

The ceremony after the march was meaningful. The speakers were very powerful and intelligent people. The one that stood out most to me was the rabbi who spoke at the beginning. He was a previous Chief Rabbi of Israel. I can’t remember what he said, but I just remember I was so locked in and his remarks were so moving. The old man who was a survivor was very passionate when he was speaking. He was actually shaking on the stage. He lived through the terrors, and the fact that some people don’t believe that the Holocaust really happened makes him so mad. I saw his passion.

It’s been a very important and powerful two days, that’s how I’d describe it as this point. Majdanek was different from the other camps I saw. It was somewhat scarier. It was a straight-up extermination camp, and they would kill thousands of people every day just because they wanted to and could. One of the worst parts was that the whole town could see in, it wasn’t hidden. I don’t understand why the people who lived there didn’t say anything or believe there was anything wrong with what was happening. They could see smoke rising and watch innocent people get killed every single day. It makes no sense to me how they just sat back and did nothing. This camp is not talked about as much as some of the others, and it is huge and scary. It is filled with crematoria and ovens. The Nazis would gas, burn, and shoot Jews right there in the open. Something that I will always remember were the ashes that were left at the camp. There is a huge memorial of the ashes of about 80,000 people that can be seen by everyone. 80,000 people’s ashes are sitting there solely because the Germans didn’t have time to get rid of them. The Nazis were cruel in every way, but one way was that they actually convinced the Jews that they were getting showers but then a few minutes later, they would be getting gassed. That’s brutal. This camp still had tons of shoes and beds everywhere. It’s crazy to think of how much evidence there is and how people can still deny the truth of the Holocaust.

After a long and tough week in Poland, we went to Israel. Israel was truly incredible. Every time I visit, it is totally different. The last time I was there was five years ago. The amount that Israel has changed and developed over the last five years is incredible. We had an eventful schedule planned for Israel. We climbed Masada, swam in the Dead Sea, visited Jerusalem, marched for Israel’s independence, celebrated Israel’s Independence Day on Ben Yehudah Street in Jerusalem, and much more, all in one week in Israel. We stayed at beautiful locations. My favorite was definitely the one on the Kineret. It was a beautiful hotel located right on the water. Shabbat in Israel was also very special. We got to pray at the Western Wall, the holiest place on earth.

Israel was an incredible experience, and I think this trip might have been the best one I’ve ever had there. I think it was so great because you go from a sad but important week in Poland, to then see how far the Jewish nation has come today. It was incredible to see how the Jewish people decided to stand up for our rights after all that hatred and horror. I will never forget either part of this trip, as they were both so impactful and made me so proud to be a Jew.

 

Jason Shwer, the son of Lara and Brian Shwer, is a 2017 graduate of Lausanne Collegiate School. Memphis Jewish Federation’s Lemsky Endowment Fund provided him with a Teen Israel Experience grant to help offset the costs of his Summer 2017 BBYO program in Poland and Israel. All rising juniors and seniors in the Memphis Jewish community are eligible for grants of up to $3000 to attend a recognized teen summer program in Israel. Teen Israel Experience applications for summer 2018 are available at www.jcpmemphis.org/lemsky-endowment-fund.

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We’re marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel with a year-long celebration! Keep an eye out for “Memphis Celebrates Israel at 70” branding at your synagogue, at events around town, and online. In this My Israel Story series, we’re asking Memphians to tell their personal Israel stories. Do you have a story to tell?

 

The only gun I have ever fired was an M-16 and I fired it on my 18th birthday.

It was 1991 and I was in Israel with my high school classmates (and our peers from another Jewish day school in Maryland) for our senior trip. The trip had an abbreviated schedule because the first Gulf War and the threat of Iraqi Scud missiles had postponed our departure from the US by two and a half months, reducing what would have been a four-month trip to a mere six weeks.

Many things were cut from our schedule, but one thing that was not was the week we spent participating in our own private session of Gadna, a pre-army training program of the IDF for high school students.

When we arrived at the Gadna base in the Galil early on a Sunday morning, the busload of us were divided up into several units of eight or ten for the week, assigned bunk numbers, and handed drab olive Israeli army fatigues and a pair of canteens. We were then given five minutes to find the bunks, drop our bags, get into the uniforms, fill the canteens and return to the field, lined up in our units. I don’t think that any of the units successfully completed the task. I know that mine did not, so we had to run some laps around the field. There were a lot of laps that week. There were also a lot of military-style drills, obstacle courses, and other physically demanding tasks.

Each unit had a commander, and our mefakedet was, well, let’s just say that the guys in our unit were not just motivated to run in the drills because they wanted to avoid having to run laps, but because they also wanted to impress the mefakedet. But she was not only responsible for running us through drills or sending us to clean the kitchen. We also spent an hour or two each day in a classroom, learning from our mefakedet how to handle, take apart, and reassemble an M-16, and learning about the concept of Tohar Haneshek, the purity of arms.

From its very beginnings, the IDF has emphasized that the acquisition of the capacity to exercise force must be accompanied by the moral responsibility to respect the humanity of those who would do Israel harm. This notion could be described in more neutral moral language as “restraint of force,” but what is most appealing to me about Tohar Haneshek as a concept is that the moral discourse of warfare which had no practical precedent in nearly 2000 years of Jewish history expresses the idea of humanity is in terms of Judaism’s religious vocabulary of sanctity.

The purity of weapons must be preserved; weaponry and those bearing weaponry as representatives of the Jewish state must be kept away from the defiling contamination of unjustifiably shed blood. Admittedly, the ideal is not always achieved perfectly, but it generally is, and the sincere, on-going effort at all levels of the IDF command structure to realize this ideal is itself noble.

At the end of the week of training and drilling and studying, we finally went out to the firing range, each of us with a magazine of ten bullets. We took turns following the various instructions called out by the range instructor, beginning with approaching the weapon and assuming a prone shooting position, through setting the safety to semi and firing. After each set of shooters emptied their magazines, the range instructor gave the order to stop firing, return the safety to the safe position, and so on through the steps until we were able to walk across the range and recover our targets. Afterwards, we compared our targets and the instructors scored them. Most of my friends had three or four holes scattered across their targets. Out of the group of 40, I was the only one who did not hit his or her target a single time.

Clearly, I determined, I am not meant to take up arms, but rather my place in this world is to stand back and support those brave men and women serving on the front lines in defense of our homeland.

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