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.