Rediscovering Israel with Momentum
July 23, 2024 | Events, Israel & Global
Written by Randi Moody
Randi was part of the Jewish Connection Network’s first Momentum cohort. Momentum’s Journey of Growth program is an immersive experience that empowers women to connect to Jewish values, engage with Israel, and take action in their homes and communities while fostering unity without uniformity.
When I began my journey with Momentum, through the Jewish Connection Network, in September 2023, I was excited to be able to return to Israel and learn, tour and explore with a group of women, one of which was one of my oldest friends. I hadn’t been to Israel in nearly 30 years and it would be my first time seeing Israel from an adult perspective. Additionally, I felt like I lost some of my connection to Judaism, so I was looking forward to this trip helping to bring it back into mine and my families lives. Meeting new women, building a bond over common interests and traveling together were right around the corner as we were set to travel at the beginning of November 2023.
Then, the unimaginable happened on October 7. While our group of 20 women did not know one another very well yet, we all checked in on each other and expressed concern over each other’s wellbeing, our friends and loved ones. The question became, will we still go to Israel? My response was always, “If Momentum is comfortable bringing groups over, then I will be there!” It was never a question in my mind of “if”, but simply “when”, I would be able to return to Israel to experience the land I loved so long ago.
As the month passed by, our group got together from time to time with different themes to discuss. It was a nice way to learn, grow and get to know each other.
The time finally came… we got word our Momentum Journey would be in early July! Plane tickets booked, there was still a lot of skepticism in the air, not only from our friends and family but from us as well. Will we really get to go? Will the war be over? Will it be safe? With all these things sitting at the forefront of our minds, we continued to meet up, both formally as a group and informally on various occasions, trying to get to know one another better before we embarked on a weeklong journey together.
We arrived in Israel on Tuesday, July 2 and made a must-have coffee stop in the airport while we waited for our bus to take us to our hotel and welcome event. We had a beautiful welcome to our Unity Mission, an overview of our trip and an overview of Momentum’s goals: Connect to Jewish Values, Engage in Israel, Take Action, and Foster Unity Without Uniformity. We spent the week actively weaving in all of these goals in a variety of ways.
During our trip, we visited many locations where we bore witness to the horrors of October 7. We heard from survivors of the massacre, witnessed affected sites and interacted with members of kibbutzim and IDF. We remained in awe of everyone’s strength and resilience through this incredibly challenging time. Visits to Kfar Aza, Re’im and Kibbutz Alumim were among the more emotionally challenging places we spent time at. It was heartbreaking to see the destruction walking through Kfar Aza all while hearing from two amazing women who both came face to face with Hamas terrorists that day in October. Sharon Shirabi, brother/uncle/in-law of 7 hostages, released and murdered, said it best, “The real victory is our unity.” That unity was felt among themselves, between us and the Israelis, and within our group.
We also had a number of fun activities organized for us. Dead Sea, Kotel, Guru Zuzu (silent disco), picking kohlrabi and Shabbat were among my favorite things we did.
Guru Zuzu, with the silent music and instructions, while dancing through the park in Tel Aviv, was a perfect end to our exhausting first day. We laughed and danced with each other and began to build our lifelong memories as we watched the sunset over the Mediterranean Sea.
Some members of our group had never been to the Kotel (Western Wall). It was an honor to witness them seeing it for the first time. Each of them were blindfolded and escorted to a viewing deck where we unveiled the amazing site and were able to see their raw reaction, smile and cry with them over the beauty, and hear their first thoughts. For me, I was honored to walk one of my oldest friends of 30 years up those stairs and be by her side for her first view.
Although very early in the morning, taking a trip to the Dead Sea, floating, digging for mud, and lathering ourselves in it was a blast!
My favorite thing we did was conversing over dinner with Israeli soldiers on the front line, followed by an evening of laughter, song, and dance. To see their happiness, dedication to their country, and resilience despite all they have been through was truly uplifting!
I loved getting to know my new sisters on a deeper level and grow a new bond with each one of them during all these activities, both difficult in nature and lighthearted. We sang, danced, cried, laughed, and comforted one another throughout the week. It was so special to be able to experience all those things together!
My connection to Israel grew in a way that I never could have imagined. I knew I loved it the last time I visited, almost 30 years ago, but now, even more than before. I grew a much greater appreciation for Israel being “home” and very much look forward to the next time I visit. It was bittersweet to leave at the end of our week. While I was excited to go home and see my family and share my experience and the stories I heard, I wanted to stay and help more!
I already knew that life is what you make of it and time is short, but I grew a deeper appreciation for living in the moment and being the best you can be for yourself so that you can be there for your friends and family. Often, as moms, we take for granted taking time for ourselves to be able to grow and rejuvenate. This trip was a perfect example of giving myself that gift. If any Jewish mom were to ask me if I thought the trip was worthwhile for them to investigate, I would not hesitate to tell them YES! Not only would they get to see an amazing country, but they would be giving themselves one of the greatest gifts- growth, bonding, amazement, spirit, and an even larger connection to Judaism than they had before they departed on the journey of a lifetime!
I am so grateful to the Jewish Connection Network, The Associated and Momentum for making this entire experience possible!