In late February, two of Nashville’s Partnership2Gether (P2G) sister Federations led delegations to Nashville’s shared P2G region, Hadera-Eiron, and throughout Israel, where they expected a trip centered around connection, culture, and community. While in Israel, regional tensions escalated and Israel and the United States launched strikes against Iran. The delegation found themselves in the midst of a historic moment. Although news headlines described a frightening reality on the ground, the members of the delegation say they felt safe, supported, and deeply connected to their Israeli partners, and the community that welcomed them.
Sara Rosenbaum, Chief Philanthropy Officer, Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, is one of the members of the current delegation who was in Jerusalem when the attacks first began. Rosenbaum shared that the next two days, she was in and out of bomb shelters with many Israeli locals. “There's a lot of camaraderie and a lot of talking, you're definitely not alone. The Israelis who were with us, are very calm and very optimistic. They were keeping us even keeled and safe.” Rosenbaum said that she felt guilty that the locals were there worrying and taking care of them, and not at home with their families. When asked what her main feeling was in the shelter, Rosenbaum says that she felt at ease. “I knew how well protected we were. They are bomb shelters. They've been tested, unfortunately, way too many times. Just looking to our Israeli guys and leaders, and the fact that they remained calm, helped us remain calm.” Rosenbaum said that although the situation was uneasy and unpredictable, she felt safe and secure in the hands of the Israelis.
Erica Jolles and Mariam Feist, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Northeast Florida, were also among the P2G group in Israel during the strikes. Jolles stated that the first siren went off around 8:10am on the first Saturday of the war and that was, “the beginning of it all.” Jolles described that the alert that gets sent to the phone is one of the most jarring sounds that she has heard. After the first siren, Jolles and Feist went into the stairwell of their hotel, where they remained for roughly 45 minutes. Jolles praised the local Israelies who took them in and made them feel safe and secure admist all the unknown. “The way that the Federation dealt with everything will have a big impact on me. From the first siren all the way to the end, all I remember is how calm the leaders and our tour guides were. How they worked so hard to keep us engaged.”
Jolles shared that one of her biggest takeaways from the trip, is that she can't imagine traveling to Israel with any other organization other than the Federation. “Whether it's the Northeast Florida Federation or a JFNA trip, the Federation has the people, and they have the know-how, they have the knowledge to keep us safe, informed, and calm and protected.”
On this specific trip, there was mixture of faiths and many of the participants were not Jewish. When presented with the opportunity to leave Israel, they felt uneasy and decided to travel through Egypt to return to the states. Jolles shared that the rest of the travelers felt that there was no reason to go through Egypt, and that she felt very safe where she was. “We were at a nice hotel. We have good food, water, and good people. We have a bomb shelter. We have a stairwell. There was no reason to leave.” At that time, all indications shared with Jolles were that this was going to be a short-lived war, and she felt there was no reason to panic and leave.
The following day was Sunday, and Feist was notified by their tour company that they had booked 10 seats on a flight to Egypt the next day. Both Feist and Jolles shared that nobody was happy, and that they did not want to leave Jerusalem. Feist said, “We felt very safe. We did not like the idea of driving from Jerusalem to Eilat. There was quite a bit of unhappiness.”
While on the trip, JFNA appointed a head of security to watch over the group, and he told Feist that it is time to leave, and that it is not getting any better. Fiest and Jolles shared that once he said that they knew it was time to go.
Despite all the chaos surrounding the outbreak, the participants of the P2G trip felt safe and reassured. The women were surrounded by attentive hosts, local community members, and Federation members who prioritized their safety. They experienced firsthand the strength of the Israeli community. A community committed to coming together, to protect one another. The women left Israel with the powerful reminder that partnership means showing up for one another, especially in difficult moments.
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