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

continued on page 20

