D
uring my winter
break, I felt obligated
to go to Israel and
help a nation in need. Israel
has always been agriculturally
independent, given the
region’s geopolitical landscape.
Following Hamas’ horrific
attack on Oct. 7, many of the
migrant workers left the nation,
creating a significant labor
shortage on the farms, which
has caused Israeli farmers to
struggle to keep their farms
operational.
My goal was to help
provide more food security
to a nation lacking in that by
working on several farms.
Some of the things I did were
harvesting peppers, tomatoes
and cucumbers, and planting
fennel. The work was not easy,
but I was so happy to do it, and
the farmers were extremely
appreciative of all the volunteers
who helped them.
The farmer I was planting
fennel for grilled lunch for us
at his home as a token of his
appreciation on my group’s last
day. This was one of my favorite
moments of my trip because,
after the meal, he told us that
we saved his farm. A farm that
has been passed on to him by
his father will be able to survive
another harvest and will soon
be passed on to his son.
No matter if it was a farmer,
soldier or just a random person
on the street, people were
shocked to see that there was
a community outside of Israel
that supported them. Most
Israelis I talked to feel that
the whole world is against
them. But in their uncertainty,
they have relied on a profound
strength in themselves to keep
pushing forward as a civil
society.
Currently in Israel, there is
no left or right. There is only
unity, one people determined
and focused on the survival of
a nation, who witnessed the
highest levels of kindness and
strength in their community.
Unfortunately, this is not
the case at Wayne State. The
campus is very divided, and
misinformation about Israel
is ramped up, which is being
expressed by antisemitism on
campus from students, teaching
assistants and professors.
As co-founder and vice pres-
ident of Students for Israel at
Wayne State, I am focused on
providing a platform of objec-
tive and candid learning about
the wonders Israel provides to
the world, the country’s history
and what is going on with the
current Israel-Hamas war.
I hope we can combat mis-
conceptions about Israel and
ultimately make the campus a
safer place for the Jewish com-
munity by educating people
about Israel. @
Jared Pazner is a graduate
student at Wayne State University
earning his MBA. He spent four
weeks in January volunteering in
Israel.
Winter Break
on the Farm
Jared Pazner } jewish@edu writer
for college students
by college students
TOP: The author (in blue T-shirt, tan hat) with fellow volunteers plant-
ing fennel. ABOVE: Volunteers help get peppers ready for market.
54 | FEBRUARY 15 • 2024