JANUARY 25 • 2024 | 13
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ust a few weeks ago,
I had the honor of
joining a delegation of
18 Detroit community
leaders on a two-day
Federation solidarity
mission to Israel.
We went to bear witness to
the devastation of the Hamas
assault of Oct. 7,
to learn about the
ongoing impact
this has had on
the citizens of
Israel and their
resolve to ensure
that this never
happens again.
We went to
see, firsthand, the
incredible support our commu-
nity has provided in the wake
of this tragedy.
Most importantly, though,
we went to express our unwav-
ering love and commitment to
our family in Israel.
What we encountered there
was heartbreaking, shocking
and often difficult to process.
We met with family mem-
bers of those who were killed
or taken hostage by the terror-
ists. This included the parents
of Omri Ram, a young man
who was murdered at the Nova
music festival. They told us
about the desperate calls they
received while Omri and his
friends hid and evaded the
Hamas terrorists, until finally
the calls just stopped. Omri
loved surfing, and today his
memory is kept alive in the
messages inscribed on the
surfboard that his friends
presented to his parents at his
memorial.
We spent time with Dani
Miran, whose son was kid-
napped on Oct. 7. The depth of
his sorrow was unfathomable,
but so, too, was his reserve of
strength and optimism as he
advocates for the release of all
the hostages — and waits and
prays for his son’s safe return.

Michael
Berger
Special to the
Jewish News

Detroit delegation offers unwavering support to our family in Israel.

continued on page 14
Lotan Pinyan, a resident of
Kibbutz Be’eri, devastated by
terrorists Oct. 7, was a guide for
the mission.