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.