Rabbi Rachel Smookler Reflects on Solidarity Mission to Israel

March 2024

Rabbi Rachel Smookler, rabbi for The Ruach Community, recently returned from the Israel Solidarity Mission with the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte. Below is her sermon at a recent The Ruach Shabbat Experience.

By Rabbi Rachel Smookler

In January, my husband, Harrison, and I traveled to Israel with six others on the Jewish

Federation of Greater Charlotte’s solidarity mission to Israel.

The morning I woke up on the day we were scheduled to leave, I was struck by a specific thought, almost a voice, that delivered a poignant message: “Israel will rise from the ashes.” This thought likely stemmed from my anxiety about our upcoming international travel to a war zone.

Little did I realize how pro-

foundly those words would guide our solidarity mission. We were heading into a situation where property and lives had been destroyed, families torn apart not only by murder, rape, and hostage-taking but also by the mass evacuation of thousands of Israeli families from their homes in the North and South, now living as refugees in Central Israel.

We witnessed firsthand the ripple effect of the events of Oc-

tober 7, which continue to impact our people. Families have been separated, with mothers and fathers fighting on the front lines, and children displaced, living in refugee centers in Central Israel and receiving care in trauma centers. We braced ourselves for an Israel reeling from utter defeat. However, what we found was quite the opposite and might surprise you. We witnessed the resilience and strength of Israelis, supporting one another, and coming together as one country. This unity was a stark contrast to the divisions that were prevalent prior to October 7.

Israelis are now unified in purpose, with clear goals: to bring the hostages home and defeat Hamas. Amidst all the trauma and chaos, we saw Israelis striving to continue their lives as best as they could. This resilience was evident all over the country. We saw Israeli couples of all ages folk-dancing near the beach, refusing to give up their way of life. Young Israelis were dancing at the beach, engaging in everyday activities like recording TikToks. People were enjoying the Mediterranean beach, playing volleyball, and making pilgrimages to the Western Wall.

One of the most powerful encounters on the mission was with Noa, the organizer of the Nova Music Festival, where young Israelis dancing were massacred en masse. 367 concertgoers were murdered, and 40 were taken hostage. Noa, who miraculously survived, saved the DJ and several attendees, managing to escape. Visiting the grounds of the Nova Festival was heart-wrenching. Meeting Noa and traveling to the South near Gaza, where

the massacre began, was a crucial part of our mission, giving us a firsthand understanding of the events we had been hearing about for months.

Noa, like every other Israeli we met, astonished us with her openness, faith, and strength. However, it was the unflappable attribute of resiliency, a hallmark of being Jewish, that we experienced firsthand in Israel.

We had the opportunity to meet and speak with parents of hostages and those who had lost young Israelis defending their country from terrorists. Resiliency was a common theme we observed at every step. Every Israeli, every Israeli Arab we encountered, demonstrated this remarkable resilience.

Federation did an amazing job lining up speakers, providing us with a comprehensive understanding of the situation in Israel.

After the mission, Harrison and I stayed on in Israel for a few extra days. We visited the shuks in Tel Aviv during the weekend. The markets were bustling with Israelis preparing for Shabbat, buying, eating, living their lives. The crowds were dense, and an electric atmosphere of strength and togetherness filled the air.

We decided to observe Shabbat by watching the sunset over the Mediterranean Sea on the beach. A DJ was playing the beautiful music of Idan Amedi, and we felt incredibly fortunate.

As the DJ played, a couple began to dance slowly to the music, against the backdrop of an orange and pink sky. It seemed as if the hand of God was protecting the sky. Gradually, everyone around us stood up and began dancing to the beautiful modern Israeli music. It was a moving scene, yet my thoughts returned to our visit a few days earlier to the site of the Nova Music Festival at Re'im in the South, where nearly 400 young people were massacred any many taken hostage.

In that moment, with everyone dancing around us at the beach, I recalled the words of Mia Schem, one of the released hostages: "We will dance again."

With this thought, and as Israelis danced around us on our final Shabbat in Israel, I began to sob. I sobbed for all the beautiful souls who had gathered on October 7 to dance and celebrate peace.

May we soon seen the terrorists of Hamas wiped out and our hostages returned to the loving embrace of their families. "Bring Them Home NOW."