‘Thank you, thank you, thank you’

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

This is what we heard almost everywhere in Israel on the UPJ Solidarity Mission, when visiting the memorial sites in the south, at the development town of Shlomi in the north, from soldiers in training visiting the site of the destroyed Sderot police station or at Chatira base where we volunteered with Sar-El, and when we visited family members in Jersualem, Kfar Saba or Kibbutz Afek. It mattered to Israelis that we were prepared to book to visit Israel before knowing of the ceasefire now in place.

First, the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) Connections Conference held at Bet Shmuel overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem, brought together Jews from across every continent. In particular, inspiring leaders from our youth movement, Netzer, and young adult Zionist movement, Tamar, were there in force. However, what struck me overwhelmingly was a pattern of stories about Jews hiding their identity, not speaking up in university and public spaces, and of Jewish community leaderships some of which did not or could not take up the call to fight back and regain Jews’ rightful place in the public square. Things are tough in Australia, but by reason of our strong and proactive leadership bodes, the hard work being undertaken by the special envoy and her staff, and grassroots activism, the prospects for Australian Jewry may yet be better than it would seem in some other Diaspora communities.

We joined the weekly Havdalah organised by the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism in Paris Square, Jerusalem, which was followed by a moving rally organised by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum called “We don’t leave hostages behind.” The thanks to President Donald Trump and Steve Witkoff for achieving the return of hostages was palpable everywhere.

Karen and I joined our relative, Jeannette Koll, volunteering at Mizilot Mazon, sorting and preparing vegetables for those who can’t afford, part of Jerusalem’s food rescue project. We did similar work on the UPJ Solidarity Mission with Leket.