As you read this, I am on my flight home (I hope my connecting flight does not get canceled due to the FAA) from spending this past week in Israel. I was invited by our funding partner, Dror Israel, to see their incredible informal and formal educational network across the country. The trip invitation came before the ceasefire and hostage release, thus, the itinerary changed to meet the new reality.

Dror Israel operates nine high schools, has a network of over 2,500 educators, including many who live in what they call "educator kibbutzim," and have 640 youth chapters (think like BBYO) with 90,000 participants ages 8-18 – including 55 chapters in Arab communities with 20,000 participants -- throughout Israel. During the war, Dror Israel created schools for evacuees in hotels at the Dead Sea and in Eilat for thousands of children in record time.

I want to share six insights from the trip:

The mood and tone in Israel was different. It felt like the whole country had a deep exhale. Everyone is happy the war is over. However, they are still holding their breath to see what comes next. Will the ceasefire hold? Will the final six hostage bodies come home? When will elections take place?

In 1967, following the Six Day War, President Lyndon B. Johnson asked Israel’s Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, “What kind of State of Israel do you want?” In August 1993, 26 years later, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin asked a group of graduates from the National Security College, “What kind of State of Israel do we want?” That question challenges the people of Israel every day! (I should note that November 4 was the 30^th anniversary of Rabin’s assassination. It was interesting to be in Israel at that moment. Everyone wonders how different things could have been. Here are thoughts from Ambassador Dennis Ross.)

We met with Asaf Lieberman, host of the Israel’s most listened-to news radio show and one of Israel’s most prominent journalists. He believes that no matter how divided we may think the Israel public is, it is far more united. Yet, politicians thrive on division. He shared an interesting perspective on the political evolution within Israel:

• 1950s – “Left” in Israel meant you were a socialist. “Right” meant you were for open markets.

• 1970s – 2010s – “Left” was all about a two-state solution. The “right” was against it.

• 2022 - 2025 – The two-state solution is no longer a priority on any political party’s platform, even those on the far left, especially with the war. Instead, the “left” is focused on identity, democracy, educational reform, social service needs, etc. The “right” sees democracy as giving themselves the power to select judges, heads of security, etc. Thus, the current government has no incentive to do anything for people on the “left” -- their perspective is why bother appeasing them when in the next election they will not gain any votes from those people.

• 2026 – There is only one question – are you pro Benjamin Netanyahu or not.

On the trip, beyond seeing Dror Israel programs all over the country, we took time to see the impacted kibbutzim in the Gaza Envelope and visit the Nova Festival site. I had been to each several times before. While there this time, it saddened me that these visits will be mainstays on upcoming tourist itineraries. They deserve to be and I understand why – but it still breaks my heart.

My taxi driver at the airport shared that his first grandchild was born on October 5, 2023 – two days before the war began. On October 10, his son (the father of the baby) was called up for duty and did not see his family again for 423 days. He came home for less than a month and was called up again. He finally came home just in time to celebrate his daughter’s 2^nd birthday. I cannot even imagine.

In the past, when people in Israel asked me where I was from -- most had no clue where Portland is. Today, just mention Deni Avdija and the Trailblazers and everyone knows exactly where Portland is.

It was an outstanding experience. I am proud that the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland was the first Jewish Federation to support Dror Israel -- starting in 2009. Some 30 other Jewish federations have followed suit. Their educational and shared society work with Jews, Arabs, and Druze throughout the country is awe inspiring. As they say, they are “a community of communities with shared values." Dror Israel professionals and participants truly live their values and will help shape the country in the decades to come.

Sunday marks 87 years since the tragic night in Germany known as Kristallnacht  -- “night of the broken glass.” November 9-10, 1938, the Nazi government of Germany launched a state sponsored pogrom against its Jewish citizens. The Nazis burned more than 1,400 synagogues, vandalized thousands of Jewish-owned businesses, broke into Jewish people’s apartments and homes, desecrated Jewish religious objects, and murdered Jews. The German police arrested and sent at least 26,000 Jews to the concentration camps. They did all of this, yet the violence was supposed to look like an unplanned outburst of popular anger against the Jews. Kristallnacht is a day to remember the dangers of authoritarianism and baseless hatred, which, unleashed by the Nazis and their collaborators, led to the death of six million Jews during the Holocaust.

In commemoration of Kristallnacht, we ask our local Jewish organizations (synagogues, communal buildings, places of gathering and study, cultural establishments) to join Yad Vashem’s "Spread the Light" initiative and leave your lights on Sunday night to symbolize the triumph of the Jewish spirit. 

Finally, Tuesday is Veterans Day -- originally called Armistice Day until 1954 – when we celebrate and honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. We stand united in our gratitude and respect for you – thank you for your service.

Shabbat shalom.

Correction – Last week I mentioned that the great flood in the Noah story happened on the 9^th of Cheshvan on the Hebrew calendar. It actually was the 17^th of Cheshvan – which is tomorrow. Let us hope we do not see similar rain! (Thank you, Rabbi Weinstock.)