New West End Synagogue Mission - A Report by Marc Green of the JNF

(To view photos of each event, click on the highlighted links)

The word mission is often misused. It suggests something evangelical – as though we by our presence can save Israel and its inhabitants from some terrible fate. In reality the trip should be viewed as a fact-finding opportunity to answer some of the questions that inevitably arise from the media bias in the UK. Most of those who come are already supporters of Israel but such short and packed trips do offer a sense of "off the beaten track" for the seasoned Israel visitor.

When we first sat to discuss a tour for the New West End Synagogue the Minister, Rabbi Geoffrey Shisler, insisted that there must not be any touristic element to the itinerary. No Kotel, no Yad Vashem, no Masada, etc. The trip was also planned for Yom Ha’zikaron / Yom Ha’atzmaut – not the easiest time to get to meet people or to get people to visit the group. These special days in the Israeli calendar are family days – a day of remembrance and a day of celebration – but we were lucky to secure a very strong itinerary.

Arriving at Ben Gurion on the evening El Al flight, the group was met by the tour guide, Mark Dekelbaum, and were taken for a short sleep to the Dan Hotel in Tel Aviv. Up early the next morning the bus took a short drive to the start of the Burma Road. We were met there by jeeps which then transported us up the unpaved road towards the apex and Mount Harel. There, as the siren sounded at 11.00am to mark Yom Ha’zikaron, the solemnity of the moment was encapsulated by a short reading and a view over the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway on which traffic pulled over and stopped for the two-minutes silence. Once the siren stopped the road filled up incredibly quickly. From Mount Harel the coach driver, Avi, drove to the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens. Here, amongst many friends and family, Rabbi Shisler and his wife Anne, dedicated Simon’s Island, a bird sanctuary in the lake. The project was named after their late son Simon and the gardens provided a perfect setting for the island as it is a sanctuary itself in the middle of the city.

After a special train ride through the gardens, led by Dr Michael Avishai, the founder of the gardens, the group took a short ride to Mount Herzl and the military cemetery. Here you can see the graves of the known such as Golda Meir, right next to those of the many who have fallen for the continued independence of the state. It is an especially poignant place to visit on the Day of Remembrance.

As the coach pulled away heading back to Tel Aviv there was a sense of leaving the moving atmosphere of Jerusalem, heavy with family mourning their lost ones, and into the new, light Tel Aviv – the epitome of modern Israel and of course Yom Ha’atzmaut.

A meal that evening in the hotel became a celebration amongst the group – so much so that we almost forgot to go out to Rabin Square for the concert and fireworks. As it was, only a handful decided to make what was a memorable trip to see amongst others Boaz Sharabi, Gidi Gov, HaBalayanim and Hani Nachmias. The atmosphere was electric and as Rabbi Shisler said the next morning, it was nice to be in the majority.

Another early start on the Tuesday took the group to Har Nof Airforce base near Gedera (photography was prohibited). The Airforce hold open days very rarely but through JNF’s connections we were able to visit the base as the guests of Major Yomtov Sabah, a senior former paratrooper also Chairman of the Control Committee of the Israel Airport Authority. On an extremely hot day, a fly past by the aerobatic display team and a detailed 'hands on' aviation experience – coupled with ice cream – gave a stunning insight into the advanced capabilities of Israel’s air defence.

From Har Nof a short journey into Gedera brought the coach to the Aleh Moriah centre for children with severe mental and physical handicaps. Meeting with the director of the Aleh organisation in Israel, Rabbi Marmestein, the phenomenal work of this charity – part of JNF in the UK – was highlighted. A quick trip around the facility left many deeply moved at the care and consideration that is taken every day to make the lives of the residents better.

From Gedera the group was invited to a special Yom Ha’atzmaut lunch with a community in Bet Shemesh. Against an amazing backdrop of the green valley, a traditional barbecue ensued with the also traditional and obligatory cries of, "so you must be my cousin" and "yes, Motty Cohen lives here now!" The barbecue is the traditional meal of Yom Ha’atzmaut and the community made enough to feed the whole of Bet Shemesh. All the left-overs were donated to the community centres around the town. At the barbecue a variety of Anglo-Saxon speakers introduced their reasons for making aliyah and the work that JNF has done in helping the town and its diverse population. The town has had many problems integrating new immigrants into existing communities but funding has helped immensely with the introduction of counsellors, landscaping and playgrounds.

Traveling back to Tel Aviv it became apparent that many, if not all the group had misunderstood the role of JNF. Most would have said that JNF plants trees but few realised the extent of their involvement in social issues directly affecting Israel today.

The last evening was a prime example of this. At the Alhambra restaurant in old Jaffa, four people who had been severely injured in various terrorist attacks joined the group for dinner. They have all been helped through their trauma by the One Family Group. One by one they were asked to share their experiences and how they had been helped by One Family. Each told of how they had been injured and how the existing organisations in Israel had used them to help raise funds but had, in return, given them little or nothing. Only one, One Family, had really addressed their post-trauma needs and were continuing to help them as each year passed. The evening was a strong reminder that it is not just those that die who are affected by the bombs but also the living, the families and the friends.

The final morning once again saw an early rising. Departing the hotel for Neot Kedumim – the centre for flora and fauna study of biblical Israel – the group were able to see at first hand how the land probably looked and was farmed at the time of the First Temple. A quick departure – after "rest stops" – took the group to Latrun and the Armoured Corps Museum and Headquarters.

Here we were addressed by Brigadier General Rami Egozi, the commander of the Armoured Corps and were invited to lay a wreath at their wall of remembrance. The tour took in all the tanks in the collection as well as the "Wall of Tears" and a final picture by the Merkava Tank that is the current tank of choice for the IDF.

The final stop of the tour was a lunch at Kibbutz Tsora near Beit Shemesh. A kibbutz experience is a must for all travellers and the food is always excellent. The kibbutz elders came to greet us and a short history of the surrounding area and the current state of the Kibbutz movement was given by a member.

So finally, the group arrived at Ben Gurion for their flight home. Some were to stay on extra days and others bid a fond farewell to Eretz Yisrael. Shakespeare wrote that "parting is such sweet sorrow" and this is a truism of any departure from Israel. The group were full of praise for their short trip: Rabbi Shisler said "It could not have been better. Israel and the JNF made us feel special and we have a new and renewed bond with Israel."