Thoughts on the Solidarity Mission to Israel
By Shoshana Ben-Yoar

As our plane flew into JFK from Tel Aviv, my family breathed a collective sigh of relief. As many of you know, I have lived in Israel, am married to an Israeli and have experienced living in that community as it endured terror attacks. But this trip felt much different. There is an unease in Israel unlike any that I have felt in my lifetime. And passing by the New York skyline, I surprised myself by feeling relieved that I was back. But that was on September 9.

Since then our world has been turned upside down and my trip to Israel seems very, very far away. Many of you know that I, like many Americans, was paralyzed by all that happened. It is just in the past few weeks that I have been able to feel "on task." And it is only now that I am able to reflect on all that I saw during the Solidarity Mission to Israel.

I'd like to share some of this with you and take this opportunity to thank those who were integral in providing me with this experience - Alice Herman, Pat Pollok and Karen Bloom. I would also like to thank Judy Menikoff for being the ultimate travel partner! Judy's experience and unique ORT perspective enriched the impact of this trip for me and all of the other Mission participants.

I met Judy in Israel a day before the beginning of the mission. We took the opportunity to get to know one another, rest up, see some ORT programs in the Tel Aviv area and, of course, eat.

The first school that we visited was ORT Geula. For any of you that have had the opportunity to visit this school, you know what a special place this is. It was the day before the first day of school and there was an incredible amount of activity - Teachers setting up their classrooms, fresh paint being applied to walls, toilets being installed! Despite of all of the activity in her school, headmaster Leah was welcoming, warm and the epitome of a good Israeli host. She sat us down, filled us with tea and cookies and then gave us one of the most motivating and heartfelt presentations about her school and its importance for children in low socio-economic brackets and those with decreased hearing abilities. She screamed, waved her arms and nearly cried telling us why we have to keep raising funds in the name of her students - and she doesn't want extra money for a beautiful building. Hers is a modest school in an old building in the center of Tel Aviv. Leah simply wants her school to exist, to provide a loving environment for children from diverse backgrounds and to enhance these children's chances for success in an increasingly competitive environment.

We could have stayed there all day - and I was almost ready to move back to Israel to work for this one ORT school! This was just the beginning - over the next five days I would meet many, many more people as dedicated to their students as Leah. That day we continued on to a school in Holon and ended at the ORT Syngalowski College in Tel Aviv. The school is beautiful and the head of the college is an amazing ORT graduate. Iris Hazan attended Syngalowski and was one of the few women to finish with a degree in electronics. After continuing her education she came back to head up the school and is now starting a special class for women in electronics - a first in Israel. She is also studying for her PhD - what an inspirationÞthis is an accomplished woman who established herself with an ORT foundation and is committed to helping others do the same.

I could go on forever, but there are several experiences that I must share with you. On Friday the rest of the mission participants arrived and we had an intimate icebreaker the next day touring ORT Israel from the sky in tiny 7 seater propeller planes! I loved it! And even though some people turned a lovely shade of green, this turned out to be the least stressful and emotionally difficult part of the mission. Sunday and Monday had us all silent, reflective, shocked, and, ultimately, more committed than ever to Israel and ORT.

As I mentioned earlier, this is an incredibly difficult time in Israel - and the ORT family has, as you know, had its share of tragedy. On Sunday we traveled to ORT Ramot and attended a memorial service for Ronen Landau. Ronen went to a movie with a friend and on the way home his car broke down. He called his father and told him that he was going to take a bus. Because of all of the recent terrorist attacks his father insisted on picking them up. Ronen was killed in the front seat of his father's car on the way home. It was wrenching to see and hear from the friend who sat in back and watched in horror as his friend died. It was heartbreaking to hear the students eulogize their friend and to hear the songs that Israelis are so accustomed to hearing regarding death. These students live and learn in fear.

On Monday we visited ORT Luvovitch. As we got off of the bus, the headmaster asked us to accompany him out of the gates of the school. We realized why when we saw the bus stop - only feet from the school gates - that had been destroyed by a terrorist bomb. The sign that indicated the bus number and ORT Luvovich school was still there on the ground. The terrorists knew exactly where they were when they planted that car bomb. Thank god no one was hurt. Maria and Raisa, both students from the school, were not so lucky when they got dressed up and traveled to Tel Aviv on what turned out to be their last night out. They were killed in the disco bombing. It was a memorial service for them that we attended. Students wept as they remembered the two girls - both only children and recent immigrants. Their mothers were inconsolable. It was here that Judy Menikoff presented the Reach Out to Israel letters. She eloquently assured the audience that members of ORT in the United States care deeply and are dedicated to providing continuous support for ORT Israel. Afterward, students thanked the Solidarity Mission participants and admitted that until the presentation of these letters they felt utterly alone and abandoned. But no more - their appreciation was evident in every comment, hug and tear.

There is so much more to tell. The kind of fear that we as Americans are experiencing now is a fear that Israelis know all too well. It is this fear that makes me more aware of the increasing needs of ORT Israel students. We need to help Leah, Iris, the parents and the staff of ORT Israel to provide a safe, loving educational environment for our students. They deserve the opportunity to build strong foundations for themselves and the entire community in Israel. It is more important now, than ever before, that we work to make that possible.

I saw Israel in a new way - through ORT lenses - and I am even more committed to Israel and all that we do there.

Reach Out to Israel: We Need Your Help!

We continue to collect Reach Out to Israel letters of support for ORT Israel students, which will be delivered in person in the near future. To express your interest in and support for our students during these uncertain times, please take just a few minutes of your time to complete these letters and e-mail them to us. Your letter assures these children that they are not alone, but part of a global community of concerned and compassionate people who will never abandon them.