Rabbinic Mission to Israel

The Shalom Hartman Institute brought a delegation of 36 North American rabbis to Israel on a volunteer mission from November 27-30, 2023.

About the Mission

The Shalom Hartman Institute brought a delegation of 36 North American rabbis to Israel on a solidarity mission to provide spiritual, emotional, and physical support alongside the Hartman network of Israeli rabbis and to bear witness to the events and aftermath of the catastrophe of October 7th.

The rabbis joined their Israeli counterparts in projects to support displaced families and those with loved ones serving in the IDF, meeting with and leading prayer services for the families of hostages, preparing food for soldiers, visiting wounded Israelis in hospitals, and picking olives to help an Israeli farmer who no longer has a work force to harvest crops.

Most importantly, the rabbis showed solidarity in this pivotal moment of Jewish history and gained deeper insight into the struggles, hopes, and needs of Israelis in this moment. They listened to the stories of Hartman faculty, staff, Israeli rabbis, and community members who shared their grief, fear, pain and heard first-hand how Israeli society has changed since October 7th. “Our hearts were broken into a million pieces every day, and at the same time, we left with hearts full of love and hope in the resilience and visionary leadership of our remarkable Israeli Rabbis Network,” said Rabbi Lauren Berkun, Hartman’s Vice President of Rabbinic Initiatives, who led the trip.

Sample reflections from our participants

"I worried that this trip would be about ogling pain and trauma. That we were going more for us--to feel better, to do something, to prove something--than for the people of Israel. But over and over, through tears, we were told how meaningful it was that we showed up, that we came to witness and gave space to people to share their stories in their own words, that we remember these people who feel so alone and so afraid."

“When the participants on our mission, an interdenominational group of women and men, got off the bus and told the Israelis we had come to visit, “We are rabbis and Jewish educators from North America who represent thousands of diaspora Jews. We are here to try to express care, support, and solidarity in whatever form you need,” they were overwhelmed. And instead of focusing on the fact that some of us didn’t fit their image of what a rabbi looks like, they just said over and over again, ‘Toda - Thank you for coming. Especially now.’” 

“This trip has been so much about bearing witness to the grief and upheaval (both physical and emotional) but also observing how getting to work - stepping up and stepping in for each other - has stabilized individuals and the society as a whole.”

“I am especially in awe of the beauty of the all the rabbis of the Rabbanut Yisraelit. I am taking away so much hope that they are a vital part of the rebirthing of what Israel will look like into the future- and feel a great deal of confidence in how well prepared they are for what is such an unprecedented moment in Jewish history. Indeed they are rays of light in the darkness that actually make me excited that Israel of tomorrow that they are building, will be one I feel deeply aligned with and moved by.”