Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

62 | MAY 4 • 2023 

Looking Back at the Miracle Mission
I

t has been a month since JN Editorial 
Director Jackie Headapohl and I 
returned from Israel as members of 
the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit’s 
2023 Motor City Mission. I should add 
that we are officially Bus #3-ers, a lifetime 
honorific. 
BTW — there is an unconfirmed rumor 
circulating around the JN office that 
Jackie is even considering 
getting a “Bus 3” tattoo.
Still in the throes of a fan-
tastic trip and, of course, the 
best mission ever — which 
is, of course, what everyone 
from past missions said 
about their experience — I 
thought I might do a bit 
of research about the first mission, the 
“Miracle Mission,” in 1993. The William 
Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish 
Detroit History holds plenty of reports 
about and wonderful images of that origi-
nal mission.
Leading up to its departure for Israel, 
the Miracle Mission had great adver-
tisements in the JN. One from April 16, 
1993, had a simple message: “Next Week 
in Jerusalem.” An earlier ad foretold an 
extraordinary story: “On April 18, 1,284 
Detroiters will fly from Metro Airport to 
Tel Aviv …” (March 12).
OK, I really loved our Motor City 
Mission, but we do not own the “largest 
ever” title. The Miracle Mission could 
boast of nearly 1,300 members! Wow. 
That’s a lot of busloads of Detroiters!
The JN published several articles in 
1993 about the mission itself, its itinerary 
and memories from individual travelers. 
“On the Fly” reported that, “Detroit’s 
Miracle Mission had a happy 10 days in 
Israel (just like the happy times of Motor 
City Mission in 2023). The May 21, 
1993, JN had a follow-up story: “Mission 
Moments.” It appears that I’m not the 
only person who talked about a Mission a 
month after its return to Detroit.

Photographs best document the 
Miracle Mission’s success. Images of 
happy participants were featured in 
the May 21, 1993, JN. Also look at 
“One Big, Happy, Airport Party” in 
the April 23, 1993, issue. In the JN’s 
Year in Review on Sept. 10, 1993, 
see “5754: “Detroit Looks for its 
own Miracles.” 
Perhaps the best photo of all is in 
the May 14 issue. “Welcome Back, 
1993 Michigan Miracle Mission!” is 
a two-page image of all 1,300 peo-
ple sitting on what is now known 
as the Hermelin Steps in Jerusalem.
The editorial in the April 16, 
1993, issue, published before the 
Miracle Mission left Detroit on 
April 18, anticipated the impact of the 
excursion: “The ‘miracle’ of the mission 
wasn’t the large numbers who attended, 
but the ‘miracle’ came in the follow-up 
and change that it created.” Indeed. 

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation 
archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.
org.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

April 18, anticipated the impact of the 

