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A

delegation of 20 
people from Bais 
Chabad of West 
Bloomfield (members and 
friends) traveled to Israel 
on a solidarity mission from 
March 3-10, led by me. We 
were joined by 
20 others from 
Chabad houses 
in Westchester 
and Midsuffolk, 
New York, as 
well as a group 
from Bethesda, 
Maryland. 
The six-
day mission 
was focused primarily on 
meeting with as many people 
as possible and sharing 
love, support and gifts. We 
traveled to both the southern 
and northern borders to 
meet with soldiers, displaced 
families and residents of cities 
most affected by the Oct. 7 
terror attack and subsequent 
war with Hamas. 
The following is parts of the 
diary I wrote leading up to 
and during the trip.

PREPARING TO GO
For this trip, I’m bringing 
boots.
I’ve been to Israel many 
times. I went on Birthright, 

studied in yeshivah there, 
led groups there, traveled to 
weddings there, but never 
have I gone with a suitcase 
full of boots.
For that matter, never have 
I gone with blankets, sweaters, 
handwritten cards from 
local schoolchildren in three 
languages, Tzitzit sets, gifts, 
funds and an endless amount 
of love from our community 
that no suitcase can contain.
Having watched from the 
distance for the past few 
months the pain, the heroism 
and the sacrifice, I am happy 
to be able to go in person and 
help out in a small way.
If a group of young men 
protecting Israel’s northern 
border need (American) 
boots, then I am honored to 
bring them, along with my 
love, admiration and support.

DAY 1 REFLECTIONS:
Ben Gurion Airport was 
emptier than I’ve ever seen 
it, a reminder of how critical 
this visit is. After a quick 
breakfast, our first stop was to 
Tel Hashomer Hospital. 
 There we met with Yula, 
who hid with her two 
children in a compartment 
under her bedroom floor in 
Kfar Aza, while terrorists 

literally sat on the furniture 
right above her, laughed, stole 
and ransacked, before setting 
her house ablaze. Yula and 
her kids survived. Her son is 
having his bar mitzvah soon.
We also saw Shoval, who 
was badly injured and lost a 
dear friend while fighting in 
Gaza. When he awoke from 
his injury, he insisted that 
he would be at his friend’s 
funeral, no matter what.
We met Nava, a quiet girl 
who was held hostage in 
Gaza for 55 days and is still 
recovering from injuries, and 
still has friends in captivity.
Our next stop was to Kikar 
Hachatufim (insane that 

a country has a “Hostage 
Square”) where so many 
beautiful monuments pay 
tribute to the 134 men, 
women and children still in 
captivity. A giant clock at the 
entrance reminds everyone 
how many seconds each 
hostage has been in hell. 
From there we went to 
the Soldiers Save Lives 
warehouse. After David 
Newman was killed at the 
Nova Festival, his friend 
Jacob, who identified David’s 
body because he was wearing 
the shirt he lent him, was 
determined to “just do 
something.”
Well, that “something” is 

Rabbi 
Shneur 
Silberberg
Special to the 
Jewish News 

Rabbi Silberberg with two soldiers fighting in Gaza, who came to meet 
him to receive Tzitzit and other materials. The Tzitzit were prepared by 
students from Hillel Day School, Frankel Jewish Academy and BBYO.

Hosting a unit of 200 IDF soldiers 
for a BBQ dinner with delicious food 
followed by singing and dancing.