Mizrachi Mission to Israel

Our final morning in Israel began with an unforgettable experience at Crave. Situated in the Machaneh Yehuda Shuk, Crave is a beloved sandwich spot. Following the October 7th attacks, business in the shul dwindled. However, owners Ricka and Yoni saw an opportunity: to transform Crave into a Chessed center. Now, they pack sandwiches sent to Chayalim, while infusing the store's atmosphere with lively music, best captured in accompanying videos. We assembled 150 sandwiches before delivering them to a large army base near Yerushalayim.

Even after visiting Sderot, נתיב העשרה, and חוזר הגלגל, the most intense and meaningful moments were yet to unfold. Our next stop was Tekumah, where the burnt-out cars from October 7th were gathered, each bearing the remnants of lives lost on that tragic day. I remarked to the boys that while our religion celebrates life, our enemies glorify death. We chant “Am Yisroel CHAI!” while they bellow only calls for our death and destruction.  The chilling sight of hundreds of charred vehicles stacked upon one another was a frightening reminder of what happenned on Simchat Torah. I shared with the boys the sanctity our religion places on every aspect of a Jewish body, emphasizing that death doesn't negate life but rather informs the fragility of it. When we encounter death, it is used as a vehicle to inspire us to use our lives wisely and productively, inspiring us to be better. As the boys walked silently amidst the wreckage, they certainly absorbed the gravity of the moment. Following th...

 *MISSION UPDATE #10* Following our deeply meaningful and intense visit to נתיב העשרה, we participated in a lighter, yet productive activity at גלגל החוזר. This site serves as a hub for collecting, organizing, and distributing produce and essential pantry items to soldiers, displaced families, and the underprivileged across the South. Engaging in a hands-on activity, our boys sorted through beautiful Israeli produce, lending a hand to Shlomi, the CEO and founder of the operation. Remarkably, Shlomi initiated this endeavor at the young age of 15. As an elementary school teacher by profession, he shared a recollection of October 7th, a day etched in his memory. With tears in his eyes, he recounted how the news from Sderot stirred a deep concern for his 6-year-old students, imagining the fear they must have been enduring. Shlomi urged our boys to strenghten their acts of chessed, and emphasized the importance of loving all Jews indiscriminate of their background and look, for the sake...

I mentioned to Rabbi Kaminetsky on the bus that what I have found most amazing about this mission is the range of experiences and emotions that we are seeing and feeling. Just yesterday we were bowling with children whose fathers were in miluim...and this afternoon...well this afternoon was quite different.  After our tour of Sderot, we traveled to נתיב העשרה, the closest ישוב in Israel to the Gaza border.  We were privileged to be led around the ישוב by Micha, a member of the community's security team.  What we saw and heard there left a searing impression on our collective memories.  We gathered at the point at which Hamas terrorists paraglide straight into this town from the skies, deadsest on killing as many people as possible. We stepped into a bomb shelter, where one of the terrorists emptied his nine bullet clip into an innocent elderly woman who was attempting to take cover. We witnessed the scene of a house completely demo...

This morning, our day commenced in Sderot, guided by Rabbi Ari Katz, PR Director at the renowned Sderot Yeshiva. Rabbi Katz led us to the former site of the Sderot police station, now a barren lot of rocks and pebbles. He recounted the gripping account of the intense battle that unfolded right where we were standing, and how Hamas terrorists overtook the station, tragically claiming the lives of all 7 officers. We learned of the brave efforts of Sderot's residents, including one individual who bravely neutralized a Hamas sniper positioned on the station's rooftop. At this holy אדמת קדש, we recited a chapter of Tehillim in memory of the heroes lost that day. Next, we toured the yeshiva, which has resumed full operation, a testament to the resilience of the Jewish people. Remarkably, the yeshiva emerged unscathed from that fateful day. Adorning the yeshiva's entrance is a sign proclaiming, "Here is the battlefield... Fight!"—a sentiment we al...

What an utterly emotional and deeply moving evening we've experienced tonight! Let me take you on a heartfelt journey through our four-part journey to Mitzpe Yericho. PART 1 - AN UNFORGETTABLE VIEW As we reached Mitzpe Yericho, a quickly growing yishuv just a short drive from the heart of Yerushalayim, we were greeted warmly by DRS Alum Rabbi Eli Wagner (DRS '07). Words fail to capture the breathtaking scene and view you can experience from the hilltops of Mitzpe Yericho. I overheard one student whisper, "This is the most incredible sight I've ever seen in my life." From the heights of the yishuv, we were able to see Jordan, and more significantly, the Jordan River, and the precise points at which Yehoshua Bin Nun led the Bnei Yisroel into Eretz Yisroel after forty years of wandering in the Midbar.  PART 2 - THE LEGACY OF ARIEL ELIYAHU z"l At the overlook, we heard from Rav Achia Eliyahu, whose son, Ariel, the eldest of his seven children, was just 19 when he...