Yeshiva Beth Yehudah Special Edition NOVEMBER 3 • 2024 | 19
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ong before Oct. 7, I wanted to go on
the 2024 Yeshivah Beth Yehudah’s
Partners Detroit moms’ mission to
Israel. After that tragic day, I was less cer-
tain. But by February, I felt it was imper-
ative to go and do my small part to show
support. As nervous as I was,
the thing I was most afraid
about was telling my 81-year-
old mother — figuring her
anxiety over my safety would
keep me home. The words she
said changed everything: “If I
was 30 years younger, I would

be right there with you.” I knew then that
I had to follow my heart and join Partners
Detroit on the Dembs Mission to Israel.
This was not easy for me. I had no close
friends going, I had never been away that
long from my husband, and I was taking a
leave from work at our busiest time of year.
What I didn’t realize then is that I would
make 40 new amazing friends and all the
rest would fall into place. The theme of our
mission was “faith over fear.” This is my
story of hope, resilience and faith.
The trip was both heart-wrenching and
joyful. On the fourth day, we visited south-

ern Israel, where the terrorists attacked on
Oct. 7. We toured Kibbutz Nir Oz, where
one out of every four residents was mur-
dered or taken hostage. We also went to
the Nova Music Festival site, and I could
not stop sobbing. In every picture of the
victims, I saw my daughter’s face and those
of her friends. They are the same age. They
would have been there. All I wanted to do
was go back to the hotel and curl up in the
fetal position on my bed. But we had one
final stop to make — a barbecue dinner
that our mission sponsored on an all-fe-
male IDF base.

Randi Berris

A memorial to Oct. 7
victims and hostages at
the Nova Festival site

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