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.