In early March, the Jewish state will experience an influx of visitors from the Bay Area.
Terrorist attacks notwithstanding, travelers will keep coming later that month. And in April and May and June.
The S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation will send a solidarity mission to Israel March 6 to 14. In addition, five Conservative and one Reform synagogue in the South Bay, and one East Bay Reform synagogue, will send more missions, open to the public as well as to their members.
Organizers view the missions as complementing one another.
“One of the most important things to do is go there,” said Sam Salkin, chief executive officer of the JCF. “It’s not competitive at all; we want to encourage as many people to go as possible.”
The JCF is just beginning recruitment. “We’re hoping to take at least 50, and that could go up,” said Ed Cushman, assistant executive director. “So far, about 80 have expressed interest.”
Since the violence that has decimated Israel’s tourism industry broke out 15 months ago, solidarity missions have become a routine way for American Jews to show support for Israel.
The JCF sent such a mission in December, and the Jewish Federation of the Greater East Bay has participated in four national missions sponsored by United Jewish Communities.
On Monday, the leadership of the East Bay federation announced it would be sending a delegation to join a national UJC mission from March 10 to 15. “This is the fifth time in the last year and a half that our leadership has been part of these important solidarity initiatives,” said Ami Nahshon, executive vice president of the East Bay federation. He will be leading the delegation with Marjorie Wolf, East Bay federation president.
That trip overlaps with another East Bay mission; Rabbi Roberto Graetz of Lafayette’s Reform Temple Isaiah will lead a group from March 3 to 14.
The goal of the missions has usually been twofold: for participants to get a first-hand account of the Mideast situation by seeing it up close, and to show solidarity with the Israeli people.
The JCF trip will take participants up north, to Kiryat Shmona in the federation’s partner region, and to visit some of the projects it supports. Meeting with Israelis will be another crucial component of the JCF trip, because “we want people to hear a more intimate view of what [Israelis are] experiencing,” Cushman said.
“Israel is now in turmoil,” said Rabbi Nathaniel Ezray, spiritual leader of Redwood City’s Conservative Temple Beth Jacob, who is leading a mission from April 21 to May 3. “In many ways it’s under siege, and a sense of unity needs to be reflected in our presence there, not only from afar. I feel very passionately about the need to be there — to be cautious, but to be present.”
The Beth Jacob mission is called “Meet Israel’s Leaders,” and a congregant is working to arrange meetings with Israeli leaders in the political, religious and social arenas.
According to Rabbi Sheldon Lewis of Palo Alto’s Congregation Kol Emeth, South Bay Conservative rabbis got together and decided to organize congregational missions, each with different themes.
“We collectively felt that we have to do something dramatic this year, something we’ve never done before, in light of the situation in Israel,” he said.
With four such missions to choose from (plus that of the JCF), he said, “We wanted to say to our congregants: ‘Join the mission most convenient for you, but make it a high priority this year with your personal presence in Israel.”
Kol Emeth’s mission is from March 13 to 17, and its theme is “An Encounter with Israel’s Land, People and Torah.”
Lewis, who has led groups to Israel before, said participants almost always cite their encounters with Israelis as the most memorable part of their trip.
The rabbi hopes to have his group meet with victims of terrorist attacks, as well as Palestinians. “I’ve always felt it’s important as Jews to spend some time meeting the Arab inhabitants of the land,” said Lewis.
And while he used to make time for shopping begrudgingly, even that will take on a new meaning, since both tourism and the economy in general are suffering so greatly. “Even shopping is more of a mitzvah,” he said.
Rabbis from two South Bay Conservative synagogues, Daniel Pressman of Saratoga’s Congregation Beth David and Marvin Goodman of Foster City’s Congregation Peninsula Sinai, are co-leading one mission called “Torah and Zion” from May 13 to 23.
Shavuot will fall during the mission, so the group will participate in a customary all-night Torah study session, attending services at the Western Wall Shavuot morning.
“That was a very important religious experience for me personally,” said Pressman. “I’m hoping it will be equally inspiring to others.”
In addition, travelers will visit some of the historic sights, like Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, making the trip a kind of “Zionism 1,” said Pressman.
Another Conservative rabbi, Eitan Julius of San Jose’s Congregation Sinai, is leading a “Family Pilgrimage” from June 17 to 27.
A South Bay Reform synagogue, Los Altos Hills’ Congregation Beth Am, will give its congregants an opportunity to join two of its rabbis, Janet Marder and Josh Zweiback, on a mission from March 10 to 15. The two rabbis will be in Israel for the upcoming Central Conference of American Rabbis convention, held in Israel every seven years.
“Our hope is that this will be an opportunity for Reform Jews both locally and around the country and world to express solidarity with their brothers and sisters in Israel,” Zweiback said.
He acknowledged that convincing people to go now was not going to be easy. “Obviously the situation in Israel could be a lot better,” he said. “But having been there this summer with a group of lay people from our congregation, I feel comfortable going and feel it’s a very important time to go. I feel safe and I would bring my family.”
Zweiback said he lived in Israel several years, and was there during terrorist attacks. “Amazingly, people go about their lives. They go out and have fun and do things people do when they lead a normal life.”