26 | OCTOBER 3 • 2024 J
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n Sept. 14, The Well had the 
honor of hosting a delegation 
of Israeli social entrepre-
neurs from the Gaza envelope who 
survived the attacks of Oct. 7. These 
individuals, ages 35-55, are seasoned 
activists working on rebuilding their 
communities following the tragic 
events of Oct. 7. For many of them, 
this work is deeply personal, hav-
ing lost close relatives and friends 
to the violence. Their 
resilience and commit-
ment to social change 
embody the power of 
community-driven 
responses to crises.
The delegation 
sought out The Well 
specifically because of 
our unique role outside 
traditional Jewish institutions. Our 
gathering brought together not just 
these inspiring social entrepreneurs 
but also a group of young adults from 
our Detroit community — individuals 
who, like many in our circles, don’t 
necessarily find their place within 
established Jewish organizations. 
These young adults represent a voice 
of Jewish identity that is, in many 
ways, in search of a home.
The event was a meeting of two 
groups on the periphery of their 
respective Jewish communities: On 
the one hand, Israeli activists grap-
pling with the social fabric of their 

war-torn homeland, and on the 
other, young American Jews seek-
ing spaces where their identity and 
questions about the future can be 
explored openly. Together, these 
groups engaged in a powerful and 
inspiring conversation about grief, 
love and the complexities of Jewish 
life today.
We began the evening with 
introductions and an exercise that 
allowed each participant to present 
themselves and share a burning 
question. These questions set the 
tone for the deep and meaning-
ful dialogue that followed. They 
ranged from, “What is Israel’s role 
in the broader Jewish community?” 
to “Where are all the children in 
American Judaism, and what will 
the next generation of Jewish fami-
lies look like?” 
Some of the questions went straight 
to the heart of identity and trauma: 
“Why are our experiences minimized 
or deemed untrue by the media?” 
“How are Israelis coping with the 
ongoing trauma, and how are they 
caring for their mental health?” 
Others addressed broader concerns: 
“
Are we still connected as a global 
Jewish people? How can we recon-
nect?”
Following the question-sharing, we 
split into smaller groups to explore 
themes of American Jewish life, the 
visitor experience in Israel and how 

both communities manage trauma. 
One group, free of agenda, simply 
connected with one another, allowing 
space to process and share. This act 
of connection was itself significant. 
Together we noted how in times of 
trauma, it’s difficult to maintain the 
capacity to form relationships, even 
within the Jewish community. By flex-
ing that muscle of connection across 
distance and culture, we witnessed 
the profound importance of building 
bridges in times of crisis.

CELEBRATING TOGETHER
Together the group marked the end of 
Shabbat with Havdalah, but our time 

together was far from over. What fol-
lowed was a beautiful, symbolic and 
non-traditional wedding ceremony for 
a young couple, Andrew and Anna, 
who had met in Israel, got married 
this past August in Prague and were 
finalizing their marriage documen-
tation in Michigan. When Andrew 
and Anna went out to their car to 
get the necessary paperwork, Israelis 

A reflection from The Well’s gathering with Israeli 
social entrepreneurs from the Gaza Envelope. 
Bridging Communities:

Rabbi Jeff 
Stombaugh
Special to the 
Jewish News

OUR COMMUNITY

PHOTOS BY YEVGENIYA GAZMAN

Hannah Berger, Rafael 
Kolot, Sapir Efraim and 
Orly Pelet Aharon

Andrew Kaufman 
and Anna Cihlova are 
under the chuppah 
with Rabbi Jeff.

Even during an evening 
recalling trauma and our 
struggle, the group found 
joy in being together.

Laura Rosen, Yarin Sultan, Hannah 
Berger, Rafael Kolot and Sapir Efraim

Adi Rozen, 
Yael Shelli 
and Vered 
Glass

Guests hold up a tallis as a 
chuppah over Andrew and Anna 
as they take their marriage vows.

