MARCH 2 • 2023 | 21
bank in the world; there are also numerous floors underground. It
is protected from earthquakes, chemical and nuclear warfare, and
more.
Especially moving for us, we were able to give blood legally for
the first time since the mid-1980s — something that is currently not
an option for us in the United States although the FDC is now set to
correct that deficiency.
Set to open later this year is the new National Library of Israel
in Jerusalem — another architectural masterpiece. Our group was
fortunate to get a private tour of the building before it opens. It was
recently listed as one of the buildings to change the world in 2023.
As an architecture buff, it was amazing to watch a building of this
quality being built.
It is significant to note that the blood bank at about $130 million
and the library at $300 million were funded primarily by two Jewish
American families. Indeed, the significance of American Jewish
philanthropy, particularly from Detroit, cannot be overemphasized.
Our dollars have had a significant impact in Israel, and they recog-
nize that!
It was also meaningful to visit Detroit’s Partnership Region in the
Central Galilee. Here we were able to meet with staff, lay leaders and
young adults involved in that area of Israel, and we witnessed the
strong relationships that exist between our two communities. We
met with five shinshinim, young emissaries, who will be living and
working in our community next year. This group was so impressive
that a few of our group members immediately signed up to be their
host families in Detroit.
A very personal experience was visiting and meeting with recip-
ients of Out for Change in Jerusalem, which Federation helps fund.
The purpose is to provide safety, refuge, support and retraining for
young people who wish to leave their extremely Orthodox sects. It
was incredibly moving to hear from these young adults (many who
are gay), and the fact that the Detroit Federation supports this is
something to be proud of.
But perhaps most moving was our visit to the Mount Herzl
memorial for fallen soldiers, another great modern piece of architec-
ture. Especially moving and personal was visiting the grave of one
of our group member’s uncles, who lost his life in the Six-Day War,
and for whom she was named. It was a very personal reminder that
the Jewish state has survived and prospered at great costs.
We were in Israel at a tense time. It is now controlled by the most
conservative coalition in history. On the day we arrived, there were
protests against the proposed changes in the law permitting the
legislature from overruling the Supreme Court. In the middle of our
trip, Israelis raided the West Bank. On the day we left, there were
shootings in Jerusalem. It is an incredible place and is exploding (the
crane is the national bird), but it really made us realize, that as inno-
vative as this country is, the threat of violence is never-ending.
ABOVE: An Out for Change recipient along with Beth Rosenberg
and Robin Bernard. BELOW: Brian Kutinsky and Michael Neumann
donating blood at the Magen David Adom Blood Bank.
At Mount Herzl, group
member Hanit Kalo
tells the group about
her uncle, whose
grave they visited.