unbidden. Spiritual moment No. 5 for me. 
When I remember my visit to Yad 
Vashem, the memory that stands out will 
be that of Rabbi Bergman, whose honesty 
and vulnerability allowed me to process 
my own feelings of all I saw and learned 
that morning.
That afternoon, our group, which 
was set to learn about the “people of 
Israel — understanding the challeng-
es of Jerusalem’s religious, secular and 
Jewish and Arab populations” visited the 
Hand in Hand Center for Jewish-Arab 
Education, a school in Jerusalem that 
teaches in both Hebrew and Arabic for a 
diverse student body. We got to meet the 
school administrators and three students: 
two Arab Muslim students and one Arab 
Christian student. 
They described to us how they were 
able to observe Yom HaZikaron, Yom 
HaAtzmaut and the “Nakba” (Palestinian 
Catastrophe) at the same time without 
tearing themselves apart, which gives me 
hope for a future where peace is possible 
for all people living in Israel.
Our guide showed us the old Green 
Line (the armistice line of the 1948 
Arab-Israeli war — now partly a light-
rail line) and pointed out the different 
neighborhoods that were Arab, Haredi 
or secular. We ended the day at Notre 
Dame of Jerusalem Center, where we 
climbed to the roof and watched the 
sun set on a spectacular view of the 
Old City.
The evening was spent enjoying 
drumming and dancing and dinner. A 

fitting end to my trip to Israel. I had to 
leave the mission early the next day to 
head for home, so I missed the final day 
of the mission, which was to end at a 
farewell dinner at an IDF base.

THE FLIGHT HOME
I had lots of time to think on the way 
home. Yes, I learned a lot about Israel: its 
history, geography and politics, its chal-
lenges and triumphs. In a mere 75 years 
— less than a lifetime — it transformed 
itself from its barren desert roots to a 
thriving, high-tech nation. However, I 
realized what I loved most about this trip 
were the people I shared it with. 
I met so many wonderful people 
(Bus No. 3 — Sound off!). There was 
so much laughter shared, like when 
someone mistook their hotel room safe 
for a microwave oven or got “locked” in 
a handicapped restroom … Discussing 
what we had learned the day before 
with Jeannie and Joel every day at 
breakfast … Rabbi Moskowitz’s and 
Rabbi Miller’s jokes on the bus … the 
camaraderie and kinship we felt as one 
group from Detroit. That’s what makes a 
mission trip special, I learned. It’s shar-
ing a once-in-a-lifetime experience with 
others who start out as strangers and 
quickly become like family.
Thank you to the folks at Federation 
for planning such an amazing trip. Thank 
you to the DJN Foundation for making it 
possible for me to go. And thanks for the 
advice of those who went before me. I’m 
glad I brought Kleenex. 

The crowd participated in 
drumming and dancing 
on my last night in Israel.

 JOHN HARDWICK/FEDERATION

Jerusalem Marathon

MICHAEL RAYKHINSHTEYN

SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS 

When the Federation offered mission-goers the 
chance to participate in a 10K run as part of the 
Jerusalem Marathon 2023 as a voluntary activity 
during Motor City Mission, I made up my mind 
almost immediately. I saw it as a once-in-a-life-
time opportunity. In addition, I wanted to prove 
to myself that I can still post a reasonable time 
and compete, even in my early 60s. My children 
were more worried about me running in a hilly 
environment in heat than I was.
The experience turned out to be much more 
than I expected. Upon arriving at the scene, I 
was overwhelmed by the huge crowds of most-
ly young people — late teens to late 20s. The 
atmosphere was tremendously exciting and 
upbeat. Music played and Israeli flags were wav-
ing everywhere. I could see and sense the pride 
and happiness among all.
While at the starting position, I looked around 
me and spotted runners from Israel, USA, 
Canada, Italy, Great Britain, Brazil, South Africa 
and Spain (I am sure I missed few countries). 
“Israel had come a long way” — I thought. I felt 
a lot of joy of who I am — a small part of a world 
Jewish community in the land of my ancestry — 
the beautiful and strong State of Israel.
During the run, when approaching the Old 
City, the roar of participants had erupted, the cell 
phones were raised, and the encouragement of 
the spectators made me shiver. What a feeling it 
is to be in the capital of Israel!
My biggest takeaway from this entire expe-
rience was the attitude of everyone I took a 
chance to meet and speak with (and there were 
many). The strong sense of pride and optimism 
was a dominating theme that day — by far. We 
Jewish people have a bright future. 

See more Mission photos on page 38 and a story about the 

Marathon on page 42.

APRIL 6 • 2023 | 21

Michael 
Raykhinshteyn 
before the run.

