Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on June 15, 2024

As soon as Phoenix mom Shoshana Simones learned of the chance to join a special trip to Israel, designed exclusively for Jewish mothers, she knew right away she wanted to go.

It happened a little last minute, but I immediately said, Im in, she told Jewish News. Phoenician Erin Deuble and Scottsdale mom Veronica Lange also didnt hesitate before saying yes to the May 13-19 Israel Unity Mission trip organized by Momentum, a group that focuses on connecting people to their Jewish heritage. Kaylie Medansky, vice president of community engagement for the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix (CJP), invited all three women and also took part. CJP subsidized part of the trips costs.

All three Valley moms were especially excited to show their support for the Jewish state after the unprecedented terrorist attack it survived on Oct. 7.

A lot of Jewish people have struggled since Oct. 7, and being there gave me a certain sense of completeness or understanding. Being able to hold hands with women living on kibbutzim and walking on those grounds was incredible, Simones said.

The global solidarity mission trip included participants from Australia, Canada, Panama, South Africa and the United States. Israeli moms also participated, something Simones really appreciated.

Spending time with the women from Israel was really a highlight, she said. They werent guest stars.

Erin Deuble, left, and Shoshana Simones listen to Oct. 7 survivors on their trip to Israel in May.

Momentum, which works in partnership with Israels Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, guided the women through a full schedule every day that included everything from hearing from family members of those taken hostage by Hamas to visiting the attack sites to meeting with government officials to volunteering on a farm picking vegetables.

Deuble was grateful for the volunteer opportunities because they allowed her and the others to lend a hand to everyday Israelis whose lives have changed considerably since the Hamas attack and the start of the war in Gaza. She happily picked kohlrabi on a farm outside of Tel Aviv, packed boxes for Israeli soldiers and put batteries in headlamps and ensured they worked.

A photo of the kohlrabi the Jewish moms volunteered to pick on a farm outside of Tel Aviv.

It was really cool that we got to actually use our hands and help Israel. They have a shortage of workers now, so being able to get out there and pick vegetables just felt right and good. It was one of my favorite pieces of the trip, she told Jewish News.

The group also heard lectures from several experts on a range of topics. Dr. Deborah Gilboa, a pediatrician and youth development expert, stood out especially for Deuble because of the neuroscience approach Gilboa took to Judaism and motherhood.

The way she spoke about the brain and development and being able to connect that to Judaism was really special and cool, Deuble said.

Before the May trip, Lange hadnt visited Israel in about a decade. She loves the country and longed to return, especially after Oct. 7.

I kept telling my friends that I want to go and help, even if Im cleaning bathrooms, cooking meals, painting a fence I just want to be there, she told Jewish News.

A few times during the trip, she found herself walking a few paces behind the rest of the group on a street and was approached by Israelis curious about the badge she wore and the tours mission.

When they heard we were here to show our support, they almost cried and said thank you for being here. That these strangers were so happy to have people from around the world supporting them was really touching and meaningful, Lange said.

Simones was in Israel 18 months ago and said the difference between that trip and Mays was stark. The group landed on Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day), and she said the generally somber day was particularly difficult this year.

The country feels broken in many ways, and the pain was all around us. You could feel how broken and hurt people felt, she said, but added that there was also a profound sense of unity.

Lori Palatnik, founding director of Momentum, said in a press release that the trip was both about showing Israelis that the Diaspora has their backs and sending Jews back to their countries with the message of Israeli resilience.

Erin Deuble had her three childrens names tattooed on her arm the last day of the Momentum trip in Israel.

Thats something Deuble took to heart. Listening to people tell their stories of witnessing the horrors of Oct 7, she understood their hope that she and the other Jewish women would share what they heard and become their advocates.

Hearing parents talk about waiting for messages from their children that never came was profound. In a room full of moms, there was not a dry eye. That day changed me, she said. She plans to continue advocacy by putting hostage posters up around her neighborhood to remind people that the trauma is ongoing.

Lange is frustrated by a lot of opinions about Israel and the war in Gaza that shes heard, and advises people to go to Israel and experience the country firsthand.

People should feel the pain, the hope and all that we (the trip participants) felt. Its easy to judge from your living room in Arizona but its not easy to send your kid off to war, she said. JN

Jewish News is published by the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix, a component of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix.

Link:

Momentum trip includes Arizona contingent of Jewish moms - Jewish News of Greater Phoenix

Category: Jewish
Tags: