OUR COMMUNITY
ON THE COVER

16 | JUNE 20 • 2024
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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