OUR COMMUNITY
ON THE COVER

16 | JUNE 20 • 2024 
J
N

T

hree weeks ago, I was one of 41 
women who embarked on the 
Dembs Mission to Israel with 
Partners Detroit. In a time of global 
uncertainty for Jews, 
this mission had a 
profound impact 
that none of us could 
have anticipated. Any 
apprehension about 
traveling to Israel 
during wartime was 
overshadowed by the compelling 
need to be there with our people and 
share in the collective sorrow for all 
that has been lost.
Ryan Dembs loved Israel and his 
Detroit Jewish community deeply, 
and naming the Israel Mission in his 
memory was a fitting tribute. Every 
participant experienced the Land of 
Israel and connected with our faith 
and our people in a way that would 
have meant so much to Ryan.
Each of the 10 days of our trip 
brought a torrent of emotions: joy, 
pride, hope, despair, fear and anger. 
We visited IDF army bases and holy 

sites, volunteered at local farms and 
food pantries and solemnly toured 
sites of devastation, meeting with sur-
vivors. Y
oung soldiers were thrilled 
and grateful to see us, exuding con-
fidence and hope for their success. 
Survivors shared harrowing and hor-
rific stories, recounting the loved ones 
they lost and those still missing. 
On our first day in Israel, we expe-
rienced firsthand the fear and chaos 
of a rocket attack near our hotel in 
Tzfat, something Israelis all over the 
country have been dealing regularly 
with for over seven months. 
Our days were filled with encoun-
ters that strengthened the spirit: sol-
diers paying respects at the “car cem-
etery,
” where vehicles abandoned by 
Nova Festival-goers are enshrined; a 
spirited group of South African teens 
singing songs of hope at the Nova 
Festival site; the resilient survivor 
of Kibbutz Nir Oz and daughter-in-
law of an 84-year-old hostage, who 
served as our guide at the decimated 
kibbutz.

Jill Menuck

continued on page 18

Tour guide Moshe Rothchild speaks to participants 
at the car graveyard near the Nova Festival site.

A shot-out window at Kibbutz Nir Oz

