14 | MAY 2 • 2024 
J
N

F

or most people, an ongoing war is a 
reason to stay away. Yet, for a coa-
lition of Frankel Jewish Academy 
students, they realized that they had to 
stand up and make a difference for the land 
and people of Israel. The students joined 
20 other American teens to travel 6,000 
miles to Israel and participate in Jewish 
National Fund-USA
’s Teen Volunteer in 
Israel Mission, where they trekked across 
the country to make a tangible difference 
in the lives of Israelis affected by the Oct. 7 
terrorist attacks. 
Whether making care packages for Israeli 
soldiers or visiting children at rehabilita-
tion facilities, the Frankel students brought 
relief and joy to a country in desperate 
need of both. One highlight was a visit to 
an Israeli farm, where the students got their 
hands dirty planting and harvesting crops, 
something of extreme importance given the 
country’s labor shortage.
“While in America, I knew I wanted to 
do something hands-on to support Israel,
” 

said Frankel student Spencer, aged 17. 
“Once I arrived in Israel on this mission, I 
knew I was part of something special. We 
not only had a positive impact on the peo-
ple there, but the mission had a profound 
impact on me.
”
In addition to supporting Israel, the 
mission also served as an educational expe-
rience, providing the Detroit participants 
with a firsthand view of the realities Israel 
faces every day. 
Each stop in Israel’s south showed how 
close Israel’s adversaries were to its borders, 
while a visit to Hostage Square in Tel Aviv 
served as a stark reminder of the families 
that still haven’t been made whole. And 
yet, despite the tragedy, the students’ main 
impression was to be in awe of the resil-
ience and unity of everyday Israelis, who 
have banded together like never before.
“This trip was amazing,
” said Ryan, 
another Frankel student. “I was shocked 
that we were able to do so much for 
our brothers and sisters in our war-torn 

homeland. I’m forever grateful for this 
experience. Going to Israel is an impactful 
moment in a Jewish person’s life; however, 
to go for more than tourism, to go in the 
time of greatest need to provide this sup-
port was beautiful.
” 
In between days of traveling through 
and working on the Land of Israel, students 
spent the night at Alexander Muss High 
School in Israel’s brand-new “Muss South” 
location, a state-of-the-art campus located 
in Be’
er Sheva. Jewish National Fund-USA
’s 
premier college-prep, study abroad in Israel 
experience, Muss has been working with 
Frankel Jewish Academy to send more 

Detroit Students 
Join Volunteer 
Mission to Israel

Frankel teens make a difference in the Holy Land.

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

OUR COMMUNITY

