22 | APRIL 6 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY V isiting Israel is a life-changing experience for every first- time traveler, and this year’s Motor City Mission to Israel was no exception — one that had a profound impact on many participants, but not necessarily for the typical reasons. For the first time in 30 years, JARC, a Metro Detroit nonprofit dedicated to provid- ing housing and services to adults with developmental disabilities, accompanied two people they serve on a trip to Israel. They joined the 140+ trip participants to experience the country, its culture, deep- en their understanding of their Jewish faith and make new community connec- tions. A bonus for the other attendees was the important and unexpected ben- efit of understanding what comes with spending time with people who have developmental disabilities. With a goal of enabling the people they serve to live life to its fullest, the two people served by JARC, Brooke Dunn and Jonathan Arens, accompanied by JARC staff members Jacob Gottlieb and Shira Woodside, would go on to gain a new perspective of their religion, face and overcome fears, and have a last- ing impact on many fellow travelers who got to know them on the trip. “There are a lot of preconceived notions about people with develop- mental disabilities. Having this oppor- tunity for community members to see Brooke and Jonathan being just regular people, they told us, was eye-opening,” Woodside said. Brooke is normally shy in large groups, at times unsteady on her feet and needs assistance, and has had a life- long fear of heights. Jonathan is a quiet man, but his wants are made known through his contagious smile. Both had a few fears to overcome but, in the end, their success changed the idea of what they thought they were capable of and what other travelers expected they could handle. THE ADVENTURE BEGINS Their trip began with a long walk from Jaffa to Tel Aviv to see the iconic Ben- Gurion statue on Frishman Beach. This walk was the first walk of many on the trip, especially with Brooke and Jonathan always opting to walk from one place to another when given the option. While both are typically active and love walk- ing in their daily lives, they were amazed by the nature they were surrounded by, which was much different than the nature they see while walking at home. Several people asked Brooke what she does at home and were surprised to hear that she graduated high school, works at Meer Apartments at Jewish Senior Life as a dining room attendant, and attends workshops at Soul Studio. Woodside said, “Just knowing Brooke’s background changes people’s ideas of what they can expect, especially finding out she grad- uated high school, is employed and has many skills.” In Tel Aviv, they explored the vibrant Carmel Market, where they tasted their first authentic hummus. Jonathan loved How a trip to Israel changed the lives of two people served by JARC. Life-Changing Trip PAT BASKIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS JOHN HARDWICK Shira Woodside, Brooke Dunn, Jacob Gottlieb and Jonathan Arens continued on page 24