Jet-lagged and out of sorts, I was still processing my arrival to Israel as we set out towards Kibbutz Holit early this morning. This was after a dinner with representatives from Minneapolis' partnership city of Rehovot who shared with me how they have (and have not yet) processed 10/7 and some of the ways their lives have since changed in small and big ways.
Today was an unforgettable day. As a first-time visitor to our homeland, my anticipation grew every day since I booked my flight several months ago. For days, weeks, and months, friends and family would constantly ask me “Are you so excited? Do you have any idea what you’re in for? Do you know how magical this place is?” While the answer was a resounding “yes” to all three, it finally became very real.
Before October 7th, by far the biggest news of the year in Israel was judicial reform and broader societal issues. As the founding generation of Israel passed, the population of 2023 was confronting what it meant to be a Jewish religious state, a Jewish democratic state, and/or a combination of both and many other possibilities.
On February 18, a group of volunteers and staff from Minneapolis Jewish Federation embarked on a week-long volunteer and solidarity mission to Israel. Aaron Goldstein, a community member and one of the volunteers, recapped the first day…
In my first months of work at MJF, I’ve had the opportunity to work on an incredible community-wide travel opportunity—Experience Israel 2023.
We’re not sure if Yiddish is officially a 2021 trend, but we can’t deny we’re seeing it everywhere these days, from a boom in online classes to the Yiddish-tinged Netflix hit Shtisel.
Dr. Allan Stillerman, Minneapolis Jewish Federation donor, and James Cohen, CEO, are in Poland on a solidarity mission organized by the Jewish Federations of North America.