Written by Rachel Levy

I was invited to serve as an Ambassador for our Partnership Region on a four-day mission to Afula Gilboa to learn more about how our sister cities have been coping since October 7. JewishFederation of Eastern Connecticut collected $77,000 for the Israel Emergency Fund. It was important for me to see firsthand how these funds were spent this past year.

Youth Futures
Youth Futures is one of our flagship programs that connects youth at risk with a mentor. They provide emotional and psychological support for middle school children while also connecting with their families and teachers to provide a holistic program. I heard the story of Yoav who is 11 years old. He traveled with his family from Afula to the south to visit his grandparents to celebrate sukkot. On October 7 Yoav and his parents heard dozens of Kassam rockets in their neighborhood. Hamas was attacking from the air and his father got hit in their home. Yoav’s mother, Hadar applied pressure for three hours to her husband’s wound, but there was so much blood that he died in her arms. Yoav and his mother continued to hide for 30 hours trapped in their home with no ambulance rescue and no way to get help.

When they were finally able to leave their home, Hadar’s first phone call was to Youth Futures. She connected with Yoav’s mentor in Afula and explained the traumatic situation that they had just experienced. The mentor immediately sprang into action to build a safe space where Yoav could return to in Afula. She met with Yoav
at his home, in his school and in the community center. She provided the emotional and psychological support that Yoav needed to rebuild his life and move from crisis to growth. Hadar is so grateful to Youth Futures and their support for her son Yoav.

Emek Medical Center in Afula
Nitzan, aged 30, was called up for Reserve Duty on October 7. He met his three army partners and got into their tank to drive into Gaza. As they were driving, he heard on his walkie talkie that there was an RPG heading into the
area. It took him a few minutes to realize that the RPG was going to hit his tank. He opened the top to try to escape, but it was too late. The RPG struck the tank, and he flew 20 feet into the air. His arms and legs were filled with shrapnel. He lay on the ground and could not open his eyes or remember where he was. From the pain, his body went into a coma.

The rescue team brought him and his partner to the hospital, but his partner did not survive. When Nitzan woke up several days later, he learned what had happened. He was very lucky to be alive, but it would be a very long road to recovery. Now 500 days later, he is still going to Physical Therapy for rehab at HaEmek Hospital. He was one of many soldiers that we met who were trying to regain their strength and use of their limbs. He was very grateful for our visit.

SparkIL
Idan is a mother with two young daughters who lives in the north very close to the border of Lebanon. Over the past four generations their families have worked in agriculture in Israel. Idan and her husband decided to open a factory to make dried fruit using the skills they had acquired over their lives. When the war began, her factory was hit by two Kassam rockets that destroyed her banana fields, avocado trees and killed her 2 horses. She lost her factory and all her dried fruit business in an instant. Fortunately, she and her family survived by hiding in their bomb shelter. Many of the homes in their neighborhood caught fire and burned down.

As Idan waited for the government to provide her with funds to rebuild her business, she reached out to SparkIL.  SparkIL was able to provide her with a small business loan to begin rebuilding her farm and her factory. As she told us her story, she explained that her children have settled into new schools farther away from the border. Even though the government has told them it is safe to return to Betzet, they want to finish the school year with their friends and not be disrupted again.

A Living Bridge
Every day of the trip I thought about the power of the collective. Because we pooled our resources with the Southern New England Consortium (SNEC), we were able to impact thousands of people this past year. I saw many  opportunities for Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut to make personal connections with our sister-city in Afula Gilboa.

Some of my ideas include:

• Sharing art projects back and forth with our neighbors in Israel
• Organizing a Mission of Doctors to visit Emek Medical Center and have their doctors visit our hospitals
• Connecting with small business owners and supporting their companies

When I visited Israel in October 2023 I gave hugs to everyone I saw. The wounds were so fresh, and everyone was in shock. I returned from my trip and shared stories about what I saw and learned over the past year. However, people became less interested in October 7. They wanted to move from crisis to growth. I have seen people scroll
past Facebook posts from Israel and focused on life in Connecticut.

On this trip I visited two mothers who had lost their children on October 7. They were both still living the horrors of 500 days ago. They had not gone to the shopping mall, returned to work or taken a family vacation. They were still grieving as if time had stood still. I was devastated to hear their stories and cried with them. I promised that their children’s stories would not be forgotten.

Now that I have returned, I am eager to reimagine what it means for Eastern Connecticut to be a Living Bridge with Afula Gilboa. I look forward to dreaming with you and realizing these dreams someday.